Mu Bai cupped his hands in a salute toward Yan Qing, then his tall, slender figure swiftly disappeared from everyone’s sight.

“I’ll be off too then.” Long Yunxiao looked at her with reluctance, yet fearing she might notice something unusual about him, he forced himself to suppress his feelings — the effort made his expression look somewhat strange. “I’ll keep an eye on those people for you first. Whenever you need them, just come find me.”

“Mm.” Yan Qing smiled. “Such a great kindness needs no thanks in words. If you ever need me for anything in the future, you must let me know — don’t stand on ceremony with me.”

“Alright.” Long Yunxiao gazed at her quietly, as though trying to imprint her image more deeply in his heart. “Take care on the road.”

“You too.”

Long Yunxiao was the first to turn away. Black Snake had already opened the car door, and after he ducked inside, he sat there without moving.

“Miss Yan, until we meet again.” Black Snake cupped his hands toward Yan Qing, and she responded with a nod.

“Thank you, Mr. Black Snake. I’ve troubled you.”

“Miss Yan, you’re too kind.”

After Black Snake settled into the car, the driver beside them asked respectfully, “Brother Black, shall I drive?”

Black Snake glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his boss sitting there like a stone statue — clearly wanting to look out the window, yet forcing himself to stare straight ahead.

Black Snake sighed inwardly and said, “Drive.”

The car slowly pulled away from Yan Qing’s side, then disappeared ahead down the road. Yan Qing waved in the direction the car had gone.

Long Yunxiao sat inside the car, wanting to catch a glimpse of her through the mirror, but his reason told him he must not look back, must not look — for if he did, he would truly be unable to tear himself away.

She had her world, and he had his sky. He could not enter her world, and she would never fly into his sky. To part like this and each go their own way, wishing each other well — perhaps that was the greatest protection and respect he could offer her.

Watching Long Yunxiao fade into the distance, Dihuai had already secured two rickshaws. The group boarded them and headed toward Baiyun Convent.

On the mountain, Yan Qing met up with the people Dihuai had arranged. Those individuals changed their clothing, disguised themselves as ordinary incense pilgrims, and descended the mountain.

Yan Qing then took Murong to pay their respects to Master Jingxin, and burned incense and offered prayers for Luo Huaimeng. It wasn’t until the following day that they descended the mountain and turned back.

The carriage had not traveled far from the foot of the mountain when another carriage came toward them from ahead.

When the driver of the approaching carriage spotted Yan Qing’s carriage, he immediately called out loudly, “Sixth Miss.”

Upon hearing someone call out “Sixth Miss,” Yan Qing had Dihuai bring the carriage to a stop.

Murong leaned out and saw a manservant from the Yan Family — an old hand who had been by Master Yan’s side for many years.

“Uncle Liu.” Murong waved at him. “Are you looking for Miss?”

Uncle Liu hurriedly jumped down from the carriage and walked over. After bowing in greeting, he said, “I had just gone to the Shi Mansion to find Miss, but the people there said Miss had gone to Baiyun Convent, so I thought I would wait here. I was originally heading down to the foot of the mountain, but then I spotted Dihuai and knew Miss was in the carriage — that’s why I took the liberty of stopping you.”

“Uncle Liu, has something happened at home?” Hearing the tone of Uncle Liu’s voice, Yan Qing’s heart sank involuntarily.

“Sixth Miss, the Master is ill.”

Upon hearing that Master Yan was ill, Yan Qing immediately asked, “What illness? Is it serious?”

“The physician came to examine him, and said it was… said it was…” Uncle Liu choked up for a moment. “Said it was a grave illness.”

Yan Qing heard Uncle Liu’s words, and her eyes instantly grew hot. She forced herself to suppress the anxiety in her heart, but the voice that came out trembled slightly. “Dihuai, go back to the Yan Mansion.”

“Yes, Miss.” Dihuai, having heard that Master Yan was ill, was also heavy-hearted. Master Yan was a generous man, and his deep affection for Miss was beyond words.

The carriage raced all the way and soon arrived at the Yan Mansion.

Yan Qing was so anxious that she nearly stumbled getting out of the carriage. Fortunately, Murong caught her in time. Murong said with concern, “Miss, don’t rush — the Master is blessed with good fortune. If you were to hurt yourself, the Master would worry even more.”

Whatever Murong said, Yan Qing barely heard it. Her mind was filled with only one thought: Master Yan’s illness. If what the physician said were true, if it were truly a grave condition…

The moment Yan Qing stepped into Master Yan’s courtyard, she heard the sound of weeping coming from inside. Her heart clenched, and she broke into a near-run.

The crying was coming from Master Yan’s sitting room. Inside sat Madam Yan, Yan Qin, Second Concubine Guo Yanrong, and Yan Ling.

The women were continually dabbing at their eyes, with Madam Yan’s sobs being the loudest of all.

Upon seeing Yan Qing enter, Yan Qin’s brow arched with displeasure, and she said sourly, “You still know how to come back? Father has fallen this ill, and you had the heart to go burn incense for your mother-in-law? You are now the Seventh Young Madam of the Shi Family — you’re no longer a daughter of the Yan Family, are you? You can just enjoy the wealth and splendor of the Shi Family. Why come back here? Father doesn’t need your concern.”

“Fifth Miss,” Second Concubine Guo Yanrong quickly said. “The Master has fallen ill so suddenly — no one could have anticipated it. Sixth Miss returned the moment she received word. Look at her clothes — she hasn’t even had time to change, and she looks weary from the journey. Her color is quite poor.”

“You’re the only one who knows how to talk,” Yan Qin shot Guo Yanrong a sideways glance.

Yan Ling, seeing the tension, quickly stepped in to mediate: “All of you stop arguing. Father was just mentioning Sixth Sister. Let her go in quickly.”

Yan Qin turned her head to one side and let out a forceful huff.

Yan Qing paid no attention whatsoever to Yan Qin and the others. She walked briskly into Master Yan’s bedchamber.

“Sixth Miss, wait a moment.” The servant standing at the door quickly stopped Yan Qing and fetched a face mask from beside them. “The physician said the Master’s illness is contagious — please put this on, Sixth Miss.”

Yan Qing took it and realized it was one of Liu Huan’s cloth factory’s disposable masks.

Liu Huan had launched a full-scale promotion of this type of nonwoven fabric material. In Shun Cheng and throughout all of Bei Di, it had already begun to enjoy widespread popularity.

After Yan Qing put on the mask, she pushed open the room door.

Master Yan was half-reclining against the headboard, dressed in a blue-gray home robe, with a white towel draped across his forehead.

“Father.” The moment Yan Qing saw Master Yan, tears streaked down her face in an instant. She stepped quickly to the bedside and reached out to take his hand.

“Qingqing.” Master Yan was both startled and delighted, but he still moved his hand away and shook his head. “The physician said my illness is serious — it’s contagious.”

“I’m not afraid.” Yan Qing stubbornly took Master Yan’s hand. It was very cold. She reached up and removed the towel from his forehead — it had gone completely cold.

Yan Qing pressed the back of her hand against Master Yan’s forehead. “Father, how long have you had a fever?”

“About three days ago,” Master Yan said, growing a little anxious. “Qingqing, step back from me — what if you catch this? I’m already ill; I can’t let you fall sick too.”

“Father, if I don’t care for you now, who will?” Yan Qing poured some hot water from the kettle, adjusted the towel to an appropriate temperature, and laid it back across Master Yan’s head. “Besides, I’m even wearing a mask.”

She also asked the servants for alcohol, and using a mixture of alcohol and warm water, she wiped down Master Yan’s body.

Master Yan resisted at first, but in the end he couldn’t hold out against her stubbornness and had no choice but to relent.

The physician had said his illness was highly contagious. Madam Yan and the others, upon hearing this, had previously hovered at his bedside asking after his well-being — but now they no longer dared to even step through the door.

Master Yan found the sound of their weeping outside only more irritating and vexing.

Though he feared Yan Qing might fall ill, being cared for by her with such attentiveness filled him with all the more warmth and comfort.

He had always cherished this daughter most of all. In the beginning it was because of her mother, Wen Wan — but now, his deep affection for her had nothing to do with her mother anymore.

“Qingqing,” Master Yan had just begun to say something when he suddenly covered his mouth with a handkerchief and began to cough.

Yan Qing quickly brought a cup of water, and only after he had finished coughing did she bring it to his lips. “Father, what did the physician say the illness was?”

Master Yan drank several sips of water from Yan Qing’s hand, and only then did the coughing subside.

Hearing Yan Qing’s question, his face could not help but show a few traces of sorrow and despair. After a moment of silence, he said, “The physician said it is consumption.”

Consumption in this era was an incurable disease — there was no medicine for it.

Yan Qing recalled that in modern times, streptomycin, the treatment for consumption, had been invented in 1944, after which many other effective medicines had also been developed.

She had studied these things in school, but her specialization was forensic medicine — though she could memorize the content, she had never put it into practice herself.

Master Yan sighed. “When I first found out, I felt quite desperate inside. But then I thought of how you’ve already married and found your own happiness and a home to belong to, and I felt that even if I were to die, I could face your mother with dignity.”

“Father, don’t say such things. You will certainly recover.”

“Foolish child, do you think Father doesn’t know what this illness is? There is no cure for it — of all those who have contracted it, not one has escaped death. Father is already fifty years old, past the age of half a century, with one foot already in the grave. This half of a lifetime has been full of hardships and wandering, yet in the end I still managed to settle down and build what we have today.” Master Yan spoke, then sighed again. “What a pity that of the sons I’ve fathered, none have turned out particularly capable. Your second and third brothers go without saying — both are nothing but trouble. Fortunately, your eldest brother Yan Qi has grown increasingly steady and responsible. When I am gone, I intend to hand the family to him. Your relationship with his branch of the family is now quite good — if you have the ability, perhaps give him a hand when needed. People say wealth never lasts three generations. Father wants to see the Yan Family thrive and flourish, to leave more protection for the descendants to come.”

“Father.” Yan Qing burst into tears at once. “Don’t say any more. These are not things to be said now. Wait until you are so old you can no longer move — that is when you settle these affairs. You are the pillar of the Yan Family. If you were to fall, what would become of the Yan Family? What would become of me?”

“Foolish child. You are a daughter who has married out — naturally Shi Ting will look after you. With him here, Father can rest one hundred percent easy.”

“Father.” Yan Qing gripped Master Yan’s hand tightly, her gaze resolute. “I will definitely cure you.”