After the exhausting medical emergency at the imperial banquet, Qin Man fell into a deep sleep that lasted nearly an entire day and night.
By the time she finally opened her eyes, dusk had already settled over the horizon of the following day.
Stretching lazily beneath the blankets, she was immediately greeted by a loud growl from her stomach.
She froze.
Then sighed.
“I’m starving…”
Climbing out of bed, she called for Su Li to bring water for washing.
The exhaustion that had weighed down her body had completely vanished after such a long rest. She felt refreshed and energized once more.
The only problem was that she was so hungry she felt like she could eat an entire cow.
The moment Su Li learned her mistress was awake, she rushed to the kitchen and returned with a lavish spread of food.
Qin Man immediately began eating.
One bowl of rice.
Then another.
She devoured everything without the slightest concern for noble lady etiquette.
Only after she was full and satisfied did she finally remember a certain troublesome patient.
“How is that arrogant Grand Preceptor doing?” she asked casually.
“Miss, someone from the Grand Preceptor Manor came early this morning,” Su Li replied while clearing away the empty dishes. “They said Grand Preceptor Xiao woke up yesterday.”
“He woke up?”
Qin Man raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. However, he has been unable to eat properly for two days and remains extremely weak. They requested that you visit the manor to examine him.”
Su Li paused before adding:
“Following your previous instructions, I informed them that you were still exhausted and recovering.”
Qin Man secretly snorted.
That narcissistic demon really thinks I’m his personal physician on standby twenty-four hours a day.
Since night had already fallen, she decided to ignore the summons and think about it tomorrow.
After dinner, she settled comfortably into a wicker rocking chair in the courtyard.
The cool evening breeze brushed across her face.
More than two months had passed since her soul had arrived in this world.
Although the First Madam treated her with genuine love and affection, a deep sense of homesickness still lingered in her heart.
She missed her family.
She missed her friends.
She missed her hospital.
She missed the modern world she had once taken for granted.
Most of all, she wanted to know how she could return home.
Her thoughts drifted to the words Little Bei had once spoken.
“Return whence you came, depart through the vessel that brought you.”
If that clue was accurate, then her only lead was the ancient medical book that had somehow brought her soul into this era.
A manuscript of such importance would most likely be stored within the Imperial Medical Academy Library.
The problem was obvious.
How was a country-born noble daughter supposed to gain access to one of the most heavily restricted archives in the empire?
Qin Man stared up at the stars.
The more she thought about it, the more tangled her thoughts became.
After a while, she entered her medical space.
She stored the medicinal herbs she had recently gathered and used her laboratory equipment to produce a new batch of antidotes and wound-healing medicine.
While organizing the shelves, she spotted a bag of potato chips.
Her eyes lit up immediately.
A moment later, she returned to reality, happily munching on chips while rocking beneath the starlit sky.
The following morning, an imperial envoy arrived at the Minister’s Manor carrying an official decree.
The decree lavishly praised Qin Man for saving Grand Preceptor Xiao’s life.
As a reward, she was granted one thousand taels of gold.
However, the final clause left her speechless.
By imperial command, Qin Man was appointed as the physician responsible for Xiao Ruochen’s complete recovery.
She was to oversee his treatment until he had fully healed.
Listening to the decree, Qin Man silently cursed someone several dozen times.
There was no need to guess who had arranged this.
It had to be Xiao Ruochen.
That shameless man had undoubtedly manipulated the situation while speaking with the Emperor.
Before she could even finish breakfast, a luxurious carriage from the Grand Preceptor Manor arrived outside the gates.
The messenger respectfully requested her immediate presence for a dressing change.
Although she was reluctant, she had no choice.
The order came directly from the Emperor.
Besides…
A new idea had suddenly occurred to her.
If she completely cured Xiao Ruochen and removed all the poison from his body, she could ask him for a favor.
With his influence, gaining access to the Imperial Medical Academy Library would become much easier.
The moment that thought appeared, all of her reluctance disappeared.
With a bright smile, she packed her medical case and boarded the carriage.
The Grand Preceptor Manor occupied an enormous estate.
Yet despite its size, every building radiated elegance and refinement rather than excessive luxury.
Led by an elderly steward, Qin Man crossed several peaceful courtyards before arriving at Xiao Ruochen’s private residence.
Inside the room, Xiao Ruochen reclined against a pile of silk cushions.
His complexion remained somewhat pale.
His long black hair cascaded loosely over his shoulders.
Combined with his handsome features, he looked almost ethereally beautiful.
When he saw Qin Man enter, he forcibly suppressed the delight that instantly surged within him.
The day before, after regaining consciousness, he had received a detailed report from his shadow guard, Xiao Mu.
Only then had he learned exactly how Qin Man had saved his life.
When he discovered that she had personally sucked the poison from his wound without hesitation, a strange feeling had taken root in his heart.
For the entire day, he had wanted to see her.
More than that.
He wanted her to remain by his side.
That desire had become so strong that he had subtly guided the Emperor into issuing the medical decree.
Meanwhile, Qin Man sat down beside the bed and questioned Xiao Mu about Xiao Ruochen’s condition over the past day.
Afterward, she reached for Xiao Ruochen’s wrist to check his pulse.
Xiao Ruochen quietly watched her.
His gaze lingered on the scar covering half her face.
It lingered on the exhaustion still hidden in her eyes.
For some reason, his heart tightened painfully.
An overwhelming desire to protect her suddenly emerged.
He wanted to pull her into his embrace and shield her from everything.
“The poison from the assassination attempt has been completely eliminated,” Qin Man finally said, withdrawing her hand.
Then she hesitated.
“However…”
Xiao Ruochen immediately noticed her expression.
“If you have something to say, speak freely. Xiao Mu has been with me since childhood. There are no secrets between us.”
Qin Man nodded.
“There is another poison inside your body.”
Xiao Mu’s expression changed.
“A chronic toxin. It has been accumulating for many years.”
Qin Man frowned deeply.
“Removing it won’t be easy.”
“Miss Qin has concerns?”
“Treatment will require medication and acupuncture twice every day. Morning and evening, without interruption, for at least a month.”
She rubbed her forehead.
“My schedule is already quite busy. Traveling back and forth constantly would waste a tremendous amount of time.”
After a brief pause, she added:
“Perhaps I should leave treatment instructions with the imperial physicians and let them handle the daily acupuncture.”
The journey itself wasn’t particularly far.
But twice a day, every day?
That would consume all her free time.
The moment she suggested handing him over to another physician, a dark flash crossed Xiao Ruochen’s eyes.
“I trust no one else.”
His voice was calm.
Yet there was no room for negotiation.
Before Qin Man could respond, he continued:
“Since the treatments must occur at dawn and dusk, it would be unreasonable to force Miss Qin to travel so frequently.”
His tone became exceedingly reasonable.
“The simplest solution is for Miss Qin to temporarily reside within the Grand Preceptor Manor until treatment is complete.”
Qin Man immediately opened her mouth to refuse.
Before she could speak, Xiao Ruochen glanced at Xiao Mu.
The shadow guard instantly understood.
Without a word, he vanished to secure another imperial decree.
Qin Man nearly exploded.
This manipulative villain!
Just as she was about to object, another thought occurred to her.
“Grand Preceptor Xiao.”
“Mm?”
“If I completely remove the poison from your body and restore your health, can you grant me one request?”
Xiao Ruochen’s eyes brightened.
“What request?”
“I want unrestricted access to the Imperial Medical Academy Library.”
He looked genuinely surprised.
He had expected her to ask for wealth.
Status.
Power.
Perhaps even a prestigious marriage alliance.
Instead…
She wanted access to a library.
A smile appeared in his eyes.
“Agreed.”
Qin Man immediately relaxed.
Perfect.
Her objective had been secured.
“Remove your upper garments,” she said while opening her medical case.
Xiao Ruochen lowered his eyes.
“My limbs are weak. I fear I don’t have the strength.”
Qin Man stared at him.
Then sighed heavily.
Resigned, she leaned forward and began undoing his robes herself.
Layer after layer slipped away.
Soon, his upper body was fully exposed.
Qin Man froze briefly.
Beneath those elegant scholar’s robes was a body of lean, powerful muscle.
Strong shoulders.
Firm chest.
Clearly defined abdominal muscles.
Despite spending years in hospitals and seeing countless patients, she still felt her cheeks grow warm.
Steady.
Stay professional.
She quickly removed the old bandages and disinfected the wound.
Afraid of causing pain, her movements became unusually gentle.
Xiao Ruochen simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of her fingers moving across his skin.
“Can you sit up?” Qin Man asked.
“I cannot.”
His answer came immediately.
Qin Man looked at him suspiciously.
Then, with another sigh, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and carefully helped him sit up.
Because the wound was positioned near his chest, she had to repeatedly circle bandages around his torso.
Given her smaller frame, every movement brought her extremely close.
Several times, she practically ended up pressed against him.
The distance between them became almost nonexistent.
His chin occasionally brushed against the top of her head.
The faint scent of citrus drifted from her body.
Xiao Ruochen looked down silently.
A dark possessiveness stirred within his eyes.
Slowly, he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
His gaze deepened.
“Done.”
Qin Man finally stepped back and secured the last knot.
“The dressing is finished.”
She packed her equipment.
“A servant will bring rice porridge later. No solid food until tonight.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Ruochen obediently nodded.
Just then, Xiao Mu returned.
“The Emperor has approved everything.”
He respectfully reported:
“Miss Qin will reside in the Grand Preceptor Manor throughout the treatment period.”
“The Minister’s Manor has already been notified. Su Li and Xiao Ya are currently bringing Miss Qin’s belongings.”
Qin Man felt another wave of frustration.
Still, she comforted herself.
At least she now had guaranteed access to the Imperial Medical Academy Library.
That alone made everything worthwhile.
Soon afterward, Su Li arrived.
Xiao Mu personally escorted them to the East Wing.
The courtyard assigned to Qin Man was beautiful.
Elegant pavilions.
Flower-filled gardens.
Covered walkways.
Everything had been prepared in remarkable haste, yet every detail was refined and tasteful.
Qin Man could not help but admire the efficiency of the Grand Preceptor Manor.
An elderly woman stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
“This servant is Xu Ma.”
“The Grand Preceptor has instructed this old servant to oversee Miss Qin’s daily needs.”
Xu Ma’s gentle appearance immediately inspired trust.
As Qin Man observed the courtyard, however, she noticed something strange.
The entire estate seemed to contain only male guards, young male attendants, and elderly women.
Not a single young female servant was present.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Could the rumors actually be true?
Did Xiao Ruochen genuinely dislike women?
Or…
Did the capital’s most eligible bachelor prefer men instead?
The thought nearly made her laugh.
Seeing Qin Man smile, Xu Ma’s opinion of her improved even further.
Miss Qin was polite, approachable, and entirely free of the arrogance common among noble ladies.
Most importantly, she was the woman who had saved their master’s life.
After resting for an hour, Qin Man entered her medical space once more.
She prepared the medication needed to treat Xiao Ruochen’s chronic poison.
She also selected a set of specialized silver acupuncture needles.
Just as she finished packing everything, Little Bei suddenly spoke.
“Master, you shouldn’t keep your veil on all the time.”
Qin Man blinked.
“The damaged skin requires regular treatment and ventilation. Otherwise, the regeneration process will slow significantly.”
“Thank you for the skincare advice.”
Qin Man puffed out her cheeks.
“Now tell me something useful. How exactly do I get home?”
Little Bei immediately fell silent.
The AI vanished without another word.
Qin Man sighed.
As expected.
After checking her equipment, she headed toward the main residence for Xiao Ruochen’s evening treatment.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
A routine gradually formed.
Every morning and evening, Qin Man performed acupuncture and changed Xiao Ruochen’s dressings.
The rest of her time was spent reading medical texts and researching the diseases of this world.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
That evening, after completing another treatment session, Qin Man returned to the East Wing with a troubled expression.
Su Li immediately noticed.
“Miss, has something happened to Grand Preceptor Xiao?”
Qin Man frowned.
“It doesn’t make sense.”
She began pacing around the room.
“The medication is correct.”
“The acupuncture treatment is correct.”
“By all medical standards, his recovery should have reached at least seventy to eighty percent by now.”
She stopped abruptly.
“He should be walking around normally.”
“He should be capable of taking care of himself.”
Her expression grew increasingly confused.
“So why is Xiao Ruochen still acting like a fragile invalid after more than two weeks?”
Qin Man rubbed her temples.
“Do I need to redesign the entire treatment plan?”
Meanwhile…
Inside the Grand Preceptor’s private chambers.
The moment Qin Man’s footsteps disappeared down the corridor, the supposedly weak and bedridden Xiao Ruochen sat upright.
His movements were smooth.
Powerful.
Not the slightest trace of weakness remained.
A shadow suddenly dropped from the ceiling.
A tall figure dressed in black landed silently beside the bed before kneeling respectfully.
The “frail” Grand Preceptor looked down calmly.
His eyes were clear and sharp.
Completely unlike those of a dying patient.