In the original plan, Qin Chaoyu didn’t want to live on campus. After all, she was someone with a huge secret, and living in the dorm would make it inconvenient to take care of Tuantuan.
However, under Qian Fangyuan’s coquettish pleading and Miao Zhaodi’s hopeful requests, she eventually decided to stay at school for a while and see how things went.
Moreover, Qin Chaoyu had a premonition that she probably wouldn’t be able to stay on campus for too long.
Now, with Bai Pengpeng joining the dorm, the atmosphere became even livelier.
At first, Bai Pengpeng’s announcement that she would be moving back into the dorm made Qian Fangyuan and Miao Zhaodi nervous for several days. They were afraid this young lady might have a bad temper. But after spending some time together, they unexpectedly discovered that this seemingly proud girl was actually straightforward and sincere—she just didn’t know how to interact with others and thus put on that kind of attitude. Once they understood what kind of person Bai Pengpeng was, Qian Fangyuan and Miao Zhaodi stopped being afraid of her, and they got along happily, often joking around.
No matter what, however, the person Bai Pengpeng was closest to was Qin Chaoyu. Whenever she encountered something new, she would always tell Qin Chaoyu first. She also loved chatting with Qin Chaoyu the most and often vented to her about people in her social circle.
For example, she knew that many of her so-called followers or self-proclaimed friends actually disliked or even hated her, but she pretended not to notice and let them stew in their frustration while still trying to please her.
Quite a mischievous habit.
She also mentioned that one of the young ladies in their circle, who acted pure and elegant, was actually a scheming hypocrite and a clingy woman. The man she was chasing was a notorious playboy, yet he still wouldn’t give her the time of day.
And so on.
Listening to these stories made Qin Chaoyu feel awkward, but she knew Bai Pengpeng was just being blunt and didn’t have any ill intentions—she simply wanted to vent.
Still, Qin Chaoyu genuinely felt this wasn’t appropriate, so she tried to talk to Bai Pengpeng about it. But the girl just shrugged it off, saying she knew Qin Chaoyu could keep a secret and that it didn’t matter if these things got out anyway—those people wouldn’t dare offend her.
What could Qin Chaoyu do? She could only laugh helplessly and sigh, “What a frustrating girl!”
After finishing classes this week, Qin Chaoyu planned to visit Tongrentang on Saturday. She had previously told Old Man Li during military training that she wouldn’t be able to come for a while, so now that it was over, she should go check in.
On Saturday morning, after declining Bai Pengpeng’s invitation to go shopping, Qin Chaoyu rode her bicycle to Tongrentang with Tuantuan.
Tuantuan had stayed in the space during military training. Originally, Qin Chaoyu hadn’t planned to live on campus, so she hadn’t been in a hurry to introduce Tuantuan to Qian Fangyuan and the others. But now that she was staying in the dorm, keeping Tuantuan in the space all the time wasn’t ideal, so she found the right moment to bring Tuantuan out into the open.
Now, Tuantuan was practically the dorm’s mascot. No girl could resist the charm of such an adorable creature, especially one so clever.
When Qin Chaoyu left this time, Qian Fangyuan had even tried to keep Tuantuan behind, promising to take her out for delicious treats. Unfortunately, Tuantuan remained steadfast, completely unmoved by such temptations, insisting on following her owner—much to Qian Fangyuan’s dismay.
The sun was blazing today, and staying outside for too long would leave one drenched in sweat. Though Qin Chaoyu didn’t sweat easily and wasn’t bothered by heat, she still felt a bit stifled. Once she entered Tongrentang and felt the cool air conditioning, she finally relaxed.
Most of the patients at Tongrentang were there for health maintenance, so they weren’t in a hurry. They chatted leisurely with each other, creating a relaxed atmosphere. But today, even though the clinic was usually quiet, it was unusually empty—not a single patient was around. Even Old Man Li, who was always at his consultation desk, was missing. Qin Chaoyu found it strange.
She stopped one of the pharmacy assistants and asked, “Do you know where Old Man Li is? Is he not here today?”
The assistant recognized Qin Chaoyu—he knew she was Old Man Li’s close friend despite their age difference—so he answered, “Old Man Li is here. He’s upstairs. The young master of the family came today, so Old Man Li is keeping him company.”
“Oh, that’s why I didn’t see him at his usual spot,” Qin Chaoyu nodded, feeling a bit disappointed. “Looks like I came for nothing today.”
The assistant had a good impression of Qin Chaoyu. He had been there when she cured that woman’s constipation, and ever since, he’d known her medical skills were extraordinary. He admired her greatly.
Not wanting her to leave empty-handed, and remembering that Old Man Li had mentioned notifying him if she came, he offered, “Should I let Old Man Li know you’re here? I remember him saying to inform him if you arrived.”
Qin Chaoyu smiled gently. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
The assistant waved his hands hastily, a little embarrassed. “No need to be so polite.”
After the assistant went upstairs, Qin Chaoyu sat on the first floor and waited patiently.
Before long, Old Man Li came downstairs.
As soon as they met, Old Man Li grabbed her and started complaining—after she cured Old Master Gu’s illness, she had disappeared, leaving him to deal with the endless stream of people coming to pry for information. He had nearly lost his temper from the annoyance.
Qin Chaoyu teased, “Isn’t that just proof of your capability? Everyone knows how skilled you are, Old Man Li—you can handle those people easily. But a delicate girl like me? Would you really subject me to those old foxes?”
Old Man Li burst into laughter at her words. He loved that Qin Chaoyu never stood on ceremony with him.
Suddenly, he smacked his forehead, looking ashamed. “Ah, my memory gets worse the older I get. I actually wanted to introduce you to someone, but the moment I saw you, I completely forgot!”
“I waited upstairs for quite a while without hearing from you, Old Man Li, so I had to come down myself. Turns out you just forgot about me—guess I’m not very memorable, huh?” A voice filled with amusement sounded from behind Qin Chaoyu.
She turned around and met a pair of bright eyes—clear and serene like a tranquil lake, warm and embracing. Those eyes instantly gave her an overwhelmingly positive impression of him.
The man stood on the stairs. After speaking, he descended gracefully, his footsteps slow and rhythmic.
He was a stranger, but also an undeniably charming man—the kind who stood out in a crowd at first glance. His appeal wasn’t just in his handsome features but also in his aura. At first sight, one would immediately understand the meaning of “a refined gentleman in a chaotic world.”
The man walked up to Qin Chaoyu and politely extended his fair, slender hand. “Hello, I’m Lu Yaoqing, the young master of Tongrentang. Old Man Li has praised you endlessly in front of me.”
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