The empty wine jugs beside the table grew more and more numerous.

Prince Yan’s head was spinning, and though he forced himself to stay upright, the wine bowl in his hand had already grown unsteady. “Come…… drink this bowl too……”

Imperial Physician Wei’s face had long since blurred before his eyes, his voice drifting faintly into his ears. “I have already drunk too much. Your Highness has also had quite a lot — you mustn’t drink any more. Being drunk easily harms the body……”

Prince Yan grinned and answered in a slurred voice, “This Prince is fine. Even two more jugs would be no problem.” As he spoke, he poured the entire contents of the bowl into his mouth.

Then, with a thud, he slumped face-down onto the table.

Ling Xiao, who had been listening intently all along, was startled and called out anxiously, “Your Highness, are you all right!”

Prince Yan gave no response at all, clearly having drunk himself into unconsciousness.

Ling Xiao turned anxiously toward where Imperial Physician Wei was. “Imperial Physician Wei, how are you now?” Surely he hadn’t also collapsed drunk like Prince Yan!

Imperial Physician Wei set down the wine bowl in his hand, glanced at the thoroughly drunken Prince Yan, the corners of his lips curving up slightly, and answered leisurely, “Young Master Ling, no need to worry. I am not drunk.”

His voice did indeed sound fairly sober.

Only then did Ling Xiao set his mind at ease, saying with great admiration, “I really never expected Imperial Physician Wei to have such excellent capacity for drink.” If he remembered correctly, Prince Yan and Imperial Physician Wei had together drunk over a dozen jugs of wine.

Prince Yan, whose drinking capacity was excellent, had ended up dead drunk, while Imperial Physician Wei remained quite sober — by this comparison, Imperial Physician Wei’s capacity clearly surpassed his by a notch.

Imperial Physician Wei silently twitched the corner of his mouth, offering no further explanation.

“His Highness is drunk. Help him back to his bedchamber to rest, and remember to have the kitchen prepare some hangover soup.” Imperial Physician Wei instructed the maids nearby. “If His Highness asks about us when he wakes, tell him we have each gone our separate ways home, with our thanks for his hospitality.”

The maids hurriedly bowed their heads in acknowledgment, then together helped support Prince Yan and withdrew.

Imperial Physician Wei rose to his feet and, together with Ling Xiao, walked around the screen.

Ling Jingshu and the others had also already risen.

Ling Jingshu instinctively looked Imperial Physician Wei over. She saw that his gaze was clear, his steps steady, with not the slightest trace of drunkenness.

He was sober to an almost unbelievable degree!

Strange! Prince Yan was thoroughly drunk, and Imperial Physician Wei had certainly drunk no less than him, not by the slightest measure — so how could he show not even the faintest sign of intoxication?

A thought flashed quickly through Ling Jingshu’s mind, and she couldn’t help asking in a low voice, “Imperial Physician Wei, did you take some medicine to counter the wine before drinking?”

What a sharp, perceptive young lady!

A flash of approval crossed Imperial Physician Wei’s eyes. He didn’t deny it. “Yes. Before the banquet began, I anticipated that Prince Yan would press wine on me, and while he wasn’t paying attention, I quietly took a pill to counter the effects of alcohol.”

He paused, then continued with a smile. “Though calling it an anti-alcohol pill isn’t quite accurate either. My own capacity for drink is shallow, and fearing I might lose my composure from drunkenness at banquets and social gatherings, I specially developed a kind of pill. As long as it’s taken before drinking, no matter how much wine one drinks, one won’t get drunk. Then, once back home, taking a second kind of pill will bring up all the wine from the stomach.”

Everyone: “……”

Without meaning to, everyone turned to look at him with admiring eyes. Truly a miracle physician! To have developed such a wondrous medicine!

“Imperial Physician Wei, you are truly amazing!” Ling Xiao’s voice was full of excitement. “Can anyone take this kind of pill?”

With medicine like this, there would never again be any need to worry about such occasions in the future.

Ling Xiao’s little train of thought was almost entirely written across his face.

Imperial Physician Wei was quite fond of this kind, innocent, endearing young man, and said casually with a smile, “I developed this pill specifically for myself and have never had anyone else take it, so I’m not entirely sure of its effects on others. But if you’d like some, I don’t mind giving you a portion.”

Tian Dong beside him was quite quick-witted, and without waiting for Imperial Physician Wei’s instruction, had already opened the medicine box and pulled out a pure white porcelain bottle.

“Inside this bottle is the anti-alcohol medicine,” Imperial Physician Wei said with a smile. “Take the yellow one first, and I guarantee you’ll drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Then take the white one afterward, and all the wine in your stomach will come right back up.”

“This kind of pill is harmless to the body, but it shouldn’t be taken too often either. Vomiting up wine always does some damage to the stomach.”

Ling Jingshu accepted the medicine bottle on Ling Xiao’s behalf, thanking him with a smile. “Thank you very much, Imperial Physician Wei.”

“Such a trifling matter, hardly worth mentioning.” Imperial Physician Wei smiled faintly.

Their gazes met for a moment in the air, and somehow, both felt an inexplicable unease, quickly looking away from each other.

Once they had stepped out through the gate of Prince Yan’s manor, everyone let out a breath of relief together.

Imperial Physician Wei did not take a carriage; after bidding farewell to the Ling family, he and Tian Dong set off at a leisurely walking pace.

“Imperial Physician Wei, please wait!” Ling Jingshu hesitated briefly, then quickened her steps to catch up.

Imperial Physician Wei paused his steps and turned around. “Is there something else, Miss Ling?”

It seemed the anti-alcohol medicine couldn’t fully fend off the effects of the wine after all. Imperial Physician Wei, at this moment, had lost his usual breezy composure; his gaze was unusually bright, fixed steadily on her.

Such an intent gaze made her heart tremble faintly……

Why was she letting her thoughts run wild again!

Ling Jingshu inwardly chided herself in frustration, and said while forcing herself to remain composed, “Prince Yan’s manor is still quite a distance from the Imperial Medical Institute. Imperial Physician Wei has just drunk so much wine — if you walk the whole way back, I’m afraid the effects of the wine might become impossible to suppress. Why don’t we give you a ride part of the way!”

In her clear, bright eyes, a trace of concern showed through.

Tian Dong, having followed Imperial Physician Wei for many years, knew his temperament best, and hurriedly declined with a polite smile. “Many thanks for Miss Ling’s kind offer, but this little distance is nothing at all……”

“Then I shall trouble Miss Ling for a ride.” Imperial Physician Wei’s voice suddenly spoke up.

Tian Dong: “……”

Tian Dong glanced at Imperial Physician Wei, his mouth, which had fallen open in surprise, immediately closing again.

Ling Jingshu smiled faintly. “Please wait a moment, Imperial Physician Wei. I’ll have the carriage brought over right away.” With that, she turned gracefully and went back to the carriage, and soon it came rolling over.

The Ling family’s carriage couldn’t compare to the luxury of Prince Yan’s carriage, but it was still quite spacious.

Imperial Physician Wei led Tian Dong aboard the carriage, sitting quite naturally beside Ling Xiao.

Ling Jingshu, Jiang Shi, and Ling Jingyan sat on the other side.

For men and women to share a carriage was, in truth, somewhat awkward. Though she had met Imperial Physician Wei many times, their interactions had been limited solely to his treating Ling Xiao’s illness, with no other overlap. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

Ling Jingshu took the initiative to break the silence. “Does Imperial Physician Wei usually live at the Imperial Medical Institute? Do you have a residence of your own here in the capital?”

Perhaps because of the wine, Imperial Physician Wei spoke considerably more than usual. “I entered the Imperial Medical Institute at the age of twelve, and it has now been a full twelve years. I have lived at the Institute the whole time and have never acquired a residence here in the capital.”

Ling Jingshu was somewhat surprised, and instinctively pressed further. “What about the Wei family’s ancestral home? Has it not been rebuilt either?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them deeply.