“The young lady is here, please come in. Little Mao is doing much better than yesterday, though he hasn’t woken up yet…”
Wanqing, accompanied by Honglian, arrived at the alley mentioned by Sister Niu. After asking around, they easily found their residence—a small thatched hut made of wooden planks and straw.
As she gestured for Honglian to knock on the door, Sister Niu, upon seeing her, greeted her with a delighted smile and invited her inside, speaking cheerfully.
“Good, I’ll give him another acupuncture session. He should wake up after today. No need for formalities, let’s just tend to the child.”
Though worry still lingered on the faces of Sister Niu and her husband, their brows showed clear signs of gratitude and relief. Watching Sister Niu carefully serve her and Honglian sugar water with reverence, Wanqing smiled faintly and walked directly to the simple bed. She lifted the child’s tattered clothes and began another round of acupuncture.
“Done. He should wake up around this time tomorrow. These medicines are specially prepared for you—give them to him daily after he wakes up, one dose divided into two servings. Once he finishes the medicine, he’ll be fine. Just make sure to keep him from getting too hot or cold in the future. In a few days, he’ll fully recover.”
After a short while, Wanqing removed the silver needles. Seeing the deep gratitude on the couple’s faces, she calmly gave them instructions and signaled Honglian to hand over the medicine packages. When Sister Niu knelt and kowtowed repeatedly in thanks for the generous gift, Wanqing smiled faintly, helped them up, and reiterated her advice.
“Thank you, young lady. You’re truly a living Bodhisattva. Please accept our humble bows.”
“Yes, without you, our Little Mao would never have improved.”
Sister Niu spoke, and her husband echoed her words. The couple bowed and kowtowed respectfully to Wanqing.
“Please, get up. You’re embarrassing me. Everyone faces hardships now and then. Besides, this was just a small effort for me. We won’t take up any more of your time—we have other matters to attend to. Sister Niu, Brother Niu, no need to see us out. Honglian, let’s go.”
Seeing their persistence, Wanqing quickly helped them up and spoke gently before gathering her things. As they tried to persuade her to stay, she simply bid farewell and left with Honglian.
“Benefactor, our great benefactor…” The couple chased after her to the doorway, still expressing their gratitude.
“You… Brother Qingfeng? What are you doing here?”
After leaving the couple’s home and stepping into the alley, Wanqing had barely walked a few steps when a figure suddenly appeared before her. Recognizing Qingfeng, one of Leng Mingye’s men, she stopped in surprise and couldn’t help but ask suspiciously.
“Just taking a stroll. Didn’t expect to run into you, Miss. May I ask what brings you here?”
Qingfeng hadn’t anticipated this either. He had been waiting here, only to see her arrive with her maid. Recalling the words of Sister Niu’s family and her sudden appearance, he couldn’t help but scrutinize her as he posed his question.
“Haha, Brother Qingfeng. Fancy meeting you here. To be honest, I came today on behalf of one of Brother Mu’s junior sisters to deliver medicine to Sister Niu and her husband.”
Hearing his question, Wanqing thought of the suspicions she had been guarding against. Though unsure if he had witnessed her treating Little Mao or knew about her street rescue, she maintained a calm smile and lied smoothly.
“Is that so? Yesterday, I heard about a female miracle doctor saving someone on the street. Coincidentally, our princess consort is ill, so I followed the trail here to wait. Never thought I’d run into you, Second Miss Mu. May I ask what your relationship is with this miracle doctor?”
Qingfeng clearly didn’t believe her. His tone was probing as he pressed further.
“Brother Qingfeng, are you doubting me? I’ve already said the miracle doctor is Brother Mu’s junior sister. Is it so strange for me to deliver medicine on her behalf?”
Faced with his skepticism, Wanqing felt helpless but stood her ground, meeting his gaze firmly.
“Oh? But I heard the miracle doctor promised to treat the child at this exact time today. Would you mind coming with me to confront the couple and verify your story?”
Seeing her refusal to admit the truth, Qingfeng nodded knowingly and suddenly reached for her wrist.
“How dare you disrespect my lady!”
As Qingfeng made his move, Honglian stepped in with a cold rebuke. Her crimson figure swiftly pulled Wanqing aside, blocking Qingfeng’s grasp.
“Brother Qingfeng, out of respect for your ties to the prince, I’ll overlook this rudeness today. But if you persist, don’t blame me for retaliating.”
When Qingfeng lunged again, Wanqing dodged effortlessly. Watching Honglian intercept him once more, she glared at him with icy anger.
“You…” Qingfeng was taken aback by her sudden transformation, which only confirmed his suspicions. Though Honglian restrained him, he had assumed she was just a songstress. Her fiery appearance belied her formidable skills.
“My lady need not trouble herself. If he dares disrespect you again, I’ll cut off his hand.”
Wanqing’s fury was mirrored by Honglian, who, despite recognizing Qingfeng as her lady’s acquaintance’s subordinate, glared at him with cold fury. With a flick of her wrist, her red sash transformed into a slender sword, which she brandished protectively before Wanqing, challenging Qingfeng.
Twice thwarted, Qingfeng seethed but recalled the girl’s unique status in his master’s eyes. Swallowing his rage, he reluctantly withdrew.
“I’ll report this to my master. Just you wait.”
Under the icy glares of Wanqing and her maid, Qingfeng suppressed his anger, turned, and stormed off.
“My lady, shall I teach that insolent brute a lesson for you?”
As Qingfeng left, Wanqing smiled faintly and continued forward. Honglian, still simmering from the encounter, glanced at his retreating figure.
“No need. I’ll handle this matter myself.”
Wanqing gently dissuaded her, knowing Qingfeng’s odd behavior likely meant he’d report everything to Leng Mingye. Recalling the prince’s obsession with that night’s incident, she headed straight home.
On their way back to the marquis’s estate, Wanqing and Honglian stopped by a pharmacy to gather more supplies.
By the time they returned, it was nearly lunchtime. After the meal, Wanqing retreated to her room to tinker with her materials. By afternoon, she had finished and instructed her maids not to disturb her as she napped.
Just as she drifted into deep sleep, Honglian’s sharp reprimand jolted her awake.
“Hey! Even if you know my lady, you can’t just barge into her chambers! Have you no shame? You—”
Hearing the commotion outside, Wanqing bolted upright, instantly alert.
“Honglian, silence! Who is it— Oh, Brother Prince! This girl is new and doesn’t know the rules. Qing’er apologizes on her behalf. I heard from Qingfeng that the princess consort is ill. Shouldn’t you be tending to her instead of visiting me?”
Realizing who stood outside, Wanqing hastily threw on her inner robe and stepped out, scolding Honglian. The maid shot her a reproachful look but retreated. Wanqing then smiled warmly at the handsome yet visibly irritated man at her door, inviting him in graciously before turning to pour him tea.
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