“Young master…”

“Miss Ye.”

Ye Qiao called softly. She was stunned, and though she couldn’t see, she could feel Pei Thirteen instantly changing his expression, smiling toward Ye Qiao.

“What are you… saying to Miss Zhou?” Ye Qiao’s tone carried a trace of probing curiosity.

“Nothing much. I told her that when a dog sees a good bone, the owner doesn’t want it anymore. Just kill the dog and cook it—why be sad for the dog? We can raise a peacock instead. Miss, let me tell you, I once raised a peacock, so beautiful…” Pei Thirteen said.

Ye Qiao was stunned and turned to ask her: “Miss Zhou, were you bitten by a dog? You’re unfamiliar with this place yet you kept a dog? You’re truly kindhearted.”

She: “…”

Half an hour later, Pei Thirteen refreshed her worldview for the second time. Both she and Ye Qiao thought this fellow would display his calligraphy skills to sell paintings and writings, or at least write family letters for people.

However, he brought her to the front of the town’s best medical clinic.

This fellow had bought a table, three chairs, and tea sets, then erected a banner reading: “Reclusive Female Divine Physician, Specializing in Difficult Cases.”

So his way of making money was to have her treat patients!

She nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood.

She turned to leave, but Pei Thirteen called her back: “What if my attendants really died and I can’t leave before my injuries heal? How will we solve our three meals and lodging? You said we can’t trouble Miss Ye, and we still owe money from that meal. If they chase the debt to her home, what will she do? You had a share of that meal too.”

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that this thing was something she had meddled to save. If she killed him now, it would all be wasted effort. Can’t kill, can’t kill. She ultimately didn’t want to owe Ye Qiao, so she gritted her teeth and returned.

“But,” Ye Qiao said timidly, “with our appearance, will anyone come for treatment?”

A person with a face full of sores and scars sitting in consultation—a woman, and a blind one at that.

Indeed, an hour passed and not even half a fly came by.

Ye Qiao described the surrounding environment: Not far from them was a clinic run by an old doctor surnamed Xu, with excellent skills. Though his fees were expensive, people seeking treatment lined up daily. The queue extended outside. People pointed at them, but no one came over. Instead, several girls stared at Pei Thirteen and whispered among themselves.

How did it get back to that despicable dandy! She restrained the urge to tell Ye Qiao to shut up.

“Looks like we need to find some shills,” Pei Thirteen had been lazily slouching in his chair, sounding like he was drinking tea, speaking unclearly.

“Xiao Qiao, do you have any money left?”

Ye Qiao: “…”

“My family sells noodles. Father and elder brother run a small stall. I usually help mother and sister-in-law with needlework to sell. There isn’t much money.” Ye Qiao said hesitantly.

“What can we do then?” Pei Thirteen said while yawning.

Pei Thirteen always spoke without restraint, his voice loud enough for others to hear and frown disapprovingly.

She was angry and kicked him under the table. “If you can’t fucking speak properly, get lost. Don’t you boast about your beauty? Use your devastating looks to attract some girls to see doctors.”

Hearing this, Pei Thirteen immediately perked up. “Right away, wait for it.”

In the time it took to drink tea, he indeed brought someone back. But it wasn’t a beauty—it was an old woman.

Old joints, excruciating pain, never been cured.

The old woman was very hesitant. “Is it really free?”

“No charge? Dandy, what’s wrong with you?” She yanked hard at the scoundrel who was about to sit down.

Pei Thirteen grinned. “The first one is free to attract customers.”

She was exasperated. Suppressing her temper, she felt the old woman’s joints and took golden needles from her medicine box.

After less than half an hour, the old woman rose excitedly. “This is so much better! Thank you, miss!”

“Come again tomorrow, and get medicine according to this prescription. If you persist, after a month…” she gave the woman instructions indifferently.

“Yes, yes, thank you miss. I’ll come see you again tomorrow.” The old woman thanked her profusely.

Pei Thirteen immediately raised his voice and shouted: “Specializing in difficult and complex cases, infertility, first three patients get free consultation!”

First two people ran over, then she heard commotion from the queue over there… After most of the day, her energy was limited and she only saw seven or eight people, but the silver they earned was enough to repay Ye Qiao for the meal and table fees, with enough left for several good meals.

During dinner, Ye Qiao was very happy, saying her skills were amazing. But she spoke toward Pei Thirteen: “That old woman was a shill you hired, right? And those first two people in line. I consider my medical skills excellent, but a few needles making such a dramatic difference is too miraculous.”

“You know me well, little leper.”

Pei Thirteen laughed heartily, reaching out to pat her head, but she slapped his hand away.

Ye Qiao was immediately confused: “But didn’t Young Master Pei already have no money to hire people? I only had that much silver, all used to buy things. It wasn’t enough to hire people. Besides, if Young Master Pei already had people waiting there, why would he still mention hiring shills? Wasn’t that unnecessary?”

“Little leper, here.” Pei Thirteen seemed to pour tea for Ye Qiao and pushed deboned fish meat in front of her before saying with a smile: “I did hire people.”

“You had no money.” Ye Qiao just didn’t understand.

Pei Thirteen smiled. “I said I had no money for shills to reassure the patients. Otherwise, if some strange little leper suddenly sets up a stall to treat patients and people start coming soon after, wouldn’t that arouse suspicion? Besides, hiring people doesn’t necessarily require money. When I was buying things, I asked around and visited the second-ranked medical clinic in town. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. When they heard I wanted to steal Old Xu’s business, they were delighted. When I said I wanted to borrow a few people, they immediately agreed.”

Ye Qiao listened with great admiration, while she added another assessment of this person in her heart: bastard among men, fighter jet among scoundrels.

That evening, at her insistence, though Pei Thirteen was extremely reluctant, he still trudged back to sleep in the temple with her.

She had inexplicable headaches and feared her time was approaching. She wanted to earn a few more days of consultation fees before leaving. She could save on lodging costs.

Of course, this was her business and she didn’t tell Pei Thirteen much.

Five days passed like this. Her headaches intensified daily, but fortunately they were brief, only occurring once at evening. She only suppressed them without showing Pei Thirteen or Ye Qiao even half a sign—she didn’t want their sympathy. This evening, after seeing the last patient, Ye Qiao pulled Pei Thirteen aside to talk about something unknown, while her headache grew splitting and her whole body felt unbearably cold. She gripped the table with both hands but couldn’t help moaning softly.

“Little leper, what’s wrong? Are you too tired?”

She was quickly held by someone gripping her arms.

She responded with a noncommittal “mm.” Ye Qiao hurried to say: “Miss Zhou, I’ll hire a sedan chair for you.”

“Xiao Qiao, no need.” Pei Thirteen crouched down.

“Little leper, get on.” he said.

She didn’t stand on ceremony with him and got on his back. He held her steadily.

“I’ll just take her back.” Pei Thirteen said.

“But your wound isn’t healed yet. How can this work?” Ye Qiao’s voice was tense with concern.

Ye Qiao cared about her too, but compared to the dandy, there was still “distinction between close and distant.”

“She missed her lover last night and didn’t sleep well. Xiao Qiao, tell me, with such a beautiful and intelligent good man as me right in front of her, why won’t she be moved? Tell her more about my good qualities.” Pei Thirteen sighed, his voice carrying a trace of helplessness.

And something that made her even colder… indulgence.

“Alright, I… I’ll go back first. Young Master Pei, take good care of Miss Zhou.” Ye Qiao said softly.

“Definitely.” he said.

After Ye Qiao left, she couldn’t help hitting his head hard. “Pei Thirteen, you scoundrel, you used me to block that girl!”

Pei Thirteen didn’t answer but asked: “Feeling any better?”

“I’m asking you a question!” She slapped his face again.

Pei Thirteen cried out from the beating and slapped her bottom. “Miss Zhou, don’t go too far, or I’ll throw you down.”

She ignored him and viciously pinched his face, grabbing the flesh.

“She asked me to watch fireworks tonight. I don’t like her, so naturally I had to make things clear.” He said in pain and dissatisfaction.

“You used me to say it!” She didn’t believe he had taken a fancy to her.

“You should know,” indeed, Pei Thirteen said with a smile again, “this is the most direct and effective rejection. Since I don’t plan to provoke her, it’s naturally better to speak early and spare her from misplacing her affections and hurting later. What’s more effective than having someone in your heart, especially when that person is right before her eyes?”

“You could say you already have wives and concubines, several you dote on extremely, and she’d give up on you.”

“Not necessarily. What if she doesn’t mind and also wants to become my wife or concubine? But seeing the current one would make her uncomfortable. I say, little leper, Miss Ye is a good girl. Helping someone once is better than building a seven-story pagoda.”

She found herself unable to refute for a moment.

Once she quieted down, her head ached terribly again. She knew it was from the toxins and gritted her teeth secretly. Pei Thirteen asked: “Are you alright? What’s happening? You’re a doctor yourself—tell me.”

“I caught cold last night. I’ll go back and prepare some medicine. I don’t want to talk. Let’s go.” She answered roughly and buried her head on his shoulder.

Pei Thirteen said nothing more, only quickening his pace.

She smelled the orchid fragrance on him that was both strange and somewhat familiar, plus the sweat dampness penetrating through his clothes.

He walked extremely fast.

Back at the temple, he brought her water and quickly helped her open her medicine box, but she held her head, buried in her knees, rocking left and right, saying nothing.

She hurt so much tears were almost coming. She knew that once this pain passed she’d be fine. She didn’t want to appear wretched in front of him.

But Pei Thirteen said: “You won’t say, right? Then stay here properly while I go get that Doctor Xu!”

His voice was rarely stern.

“Young master, you’re indeed here!”

She heard his large strides toward the door, and also heard sudden approaching footsteps.

It was a woman.

“Ah Jing apologizes to young master for causing you injury while saving me.”

The tone was gentle, carrying slight hoarseness and choking.

Then came the sound of clothes rustling and rubbing—someone had embraced the other.