It was the voice of a young man.

His voice was somewhat low and deep, with a clean and gentle timbre that was extraordinarily pleasing to the ear.

And yet, at this moment, that voice carried unmistakable displeasure.

The inner hall had two doors. One led in from the outer hall; the other opened onto the courtyard at the back. It was clearly through this rear courtyard door that the young man had entered.

Ling Jingshu and Princess Fumin were standing face to face, with their backs to the door. When the voice rang out, she had not yet had time to turn around.

Even so, she had already guessed the young man’s identity from the way a radiant, joyful light suddenly bloomed across Princess Fumin’s face.

Wei Yan!

Imperial Physician Wei!

He had finally come!

Princess Fumin shed her haughty arrogance in almost an instant, her ability to change expressions no less masterful than that of a celebrated opera performer. A delighted smile surfaced on her charming face. “Imperial Physician Wei, you’ve finally arrived.”

Ling Jingshu turned around at this moment as well.

The true face of Imperial Physician Wei was at last revealed before her eyes.

She had already heard many rumours about him — things like “unrivalled in handsomeness,” “elegantly refined,” “one in a thousand miles,” and the like.

Ling Jingshu had mentally prepared herself.

And yet, the moment she laid eyes on the young man’s face, she still felt a sudden brilliance strike her gaze.

Slender, beautiful brows. Clear, striking eyes. A straight and well-formed nose. Lips neither too thin nor too thick, perfectly proportioned and finely shaped… Each feature was lovely on its own, but brought together on this face, they were lovelier still.

Every descriptive word felt dry and inadequate. Only a single thought remained in her mind.

This young man was truly beautiful.

He was tall for a man as well, wearing a half-worn cotton robe in bamboo-green, his hair simply gathered with a wooden hairpin. Not a single superfluous ornament adorned his person — not even the jade pendant men commonly wore.

The residents of Luoyang were quite well-off; those of modest comfort likely dressed better than he did, to say nothing of the scions of noble families and the young lords of distinguished clans.

He wore that plain, half-worn robe in such an unhurried manner, and yet it only made his features appear more refined, his tall figure more distinguished, graceful as bamboo.

A beauty blessed by nature needed no excessive adornment.

Ling Jingshu had met no small number of outstanding men. Lu Qian was a charming and handsome young gentleman. And yet compared to this young man, he lacked a certain steadiness.

The Crown Grandson and Prince Yan were also strikingly handsome young men, each one in a thousand miles. The nobility they had been born into had cultivated in them an uncommon bearing and authority, so that whenever they appeared in a crowd, it was as the sun blazing in the sky — brilliant, radiant, the focal point of every eye.

But this young man was like a clear breeze and a luminous moon, possessing a few extra degrees of warmth and ease.

One glance at him, and the mind grew tranquil and gentle, as though joy were flowing slowly and softly through the heart.

No wonder so many young ladies from distinguished families harboured secret admiration for him. No wonder the third young miss of the Liu family had gone to such lengths to come to Huichun Hall. No wonder this noble Princess Fumin had given her heart to him…

Ling Jingshu turned these thoughts over quietly in her mind, and could not help stealing another glance at him.

Imperial Physician Wei, however, paid no attention to Ling Jingshu — nor, for that matter, to Princess Fumin.

His entire attention had already been captured by Liu Laoshi, who lay on the ground convulsing with increasing severity.

Imperial Physician Wei strode into the inner hall and swiftly crouched down to examine him closely, unbothered by the foul mess of white foam Liu Laoshi was expelling from his mouth. He inspected Liu Laoshi’s mouth and nostrils with careful attention.

Then, without lifting his head, he gave instructions: “Go fetch a basin of clean water to wipe his face and head clean. Open my medicine chest. Bring me my gold needles.”

The Huichun Hall attendants immediately received the order and withdrew, quickly bringing back a basin of water. They wetted a cloth and wiped Liu Laoshi’s face and head clean.

The young apprentice who trailed behind Imperial Physician Wei swiftly unshouldered the medicine chest from his back, opened it with nimble hands, and extracted and unwrapped a bundle of gold needles.

A row of gold needles of varying lengths and thicknesses gleamed with cold light as they came into view.

Imperial Physician Wei swept a brief glance over them and selected one needle of exceptional fineness and length, then another… He inserted them rapidly, precisely, and steadily. Within a short time, a number of glittering gold needles had been planted across Liu Laoshi’s head.

Those watching felt their hearts tighten and their nerves run cold.

Though Princess Fumin was bold in her everyday demeanour, she had never witnessed a person being stuck with gold needles until he resembled a hedgehog, and could not help drawing a sharp breath.

Imperial Physician Wei did not pause in his movements, but his voice cooled several degrees. “All of you, step outside first.”

What?

Everyone present was momentarily stunned.

Princess Fumin in particular wore an expression of bewildered shock, and blurted out: “You’re chasing us out?”

Imperial Physician Wei, seeing that Liu Laoshi had stopped expelling foam and that the convulsions of his hands and feet had considerably eased, finally let out a breath of relief.

He heard Princess Fumin’s words then, and furrowed his brow before turning to face her. “This patient is in acute crisis. I am currently using gold needles to treat him and must concentrate without the slightest distraction. The lot of you standing here making a fuss will only divide my attention. All of you go to the outer hall first. Once I have finished treating him, you may come back in.”

His words were brief and forceful, carrying a coldness that brooked no argument.

Princess Fumin was inwardly displeased, but she knew that in Imperial Physician Wei’s eyes, treating and saving the sick always came first.

If she refused to heed his instructions now, he would certainly turn on her without ceremony.

“Very well, I’ll step out right away. I’ll come back in once you’ve treated the patient.” Princess Fumin suppressed the grievance churning inside her and made every effort to present a gentle, virtuous, and reasonable face.

Unfortunately, Imperial Physician Wei did not spare her a second glance. Her efforts had been entirely wasted.

Imperial Physician Wei then looked toward Ling Jingshu and her party. His gaze swept over Ling Jingshu’s startlingly beautiful, city-toppling face without the slightest ripple or trace of reaction. “You as well, please step outside first. I will have someone call you back in shortly.”

Ling Jingshu smiled and acknowledged him.

From the moment he had entered the inner hall, his eyes had held only the patient; he had not noticed her at all. Only just now had he cast her a single glance.

No astonishment. No stirring of the heart. No brightening of the eyes, no burning gaze…

Nothing whatsoever.

He had looked at her just as he might look at any ordinary person — a calm, passing glance.

This feeling of being overlooked and disregarded was genuinely novel to her, and uncommon.

She and A’Xiao were twins. From birth they had been fashioned with powdery delicacy and jade-like beauty, adored by all who saw them. Now A’Xiao had grown into a handsome young man with features like a painting, while she herself had become more captivating and beautiful with each passing day. Though she had been tenderly reared within the inner quarters, her renown in Dingzhou grew ever louder.

On the rare occasions she ventured outside, she invariably drew a great many stares.

Who did not love to look upon a beauty? Even a man whose heart was already given elsewhere could not help stealing an extra glance at her.

She had long grown accustomed to the astonishment in everyone’s eyes, and had suffered no small amount of pain and torment on account of her exceptional beauty. She had long since grown weary of the feeling of being watched intently by men…

And then, all at once, she had encountered a young man who was not the least bit stirred upon seeing her. This feeling was truly… novel and curious.