Chen Shi repeated herself.

“I’ll probably return after dinner. You can do as you please here, don’t feel constrained,” she said.

Qi Yue came to her senses, confirming that Chen Shi had indeed changed the subject, and quickly nodded in agreement.

It seemed she didn’t need to go with Chen Shi to her family home, which was good. She hadn’t planned to stay here long anyway, and this saved her from wasting time dealing with people here.

Chen Shi thought of something else and handed over a token.

Qi Yue reached out to take it, seeing it was a nanmu wood plaque with “Duke Deqing Chen IV” carved on it.

“Whatever you fancy, whatever you want, just show this token,” Chen Shi said.

Wow, Qi Yue whistled inwardly – indeed, high-ranking families in the capital were extraordinary.

“Good, thank you, aunt,” Qi Yue smiled without being polite, instead thanking her straightforwardly.

Chen Shi was indeed very pleased.

“Don’t be polite, this is as it should be,” she smiled, clapped her hands, and left.

As it should be? What should be? Getting whatever she wanted without paying was as it should be?

Qi Yue shrugged.

“Should we still have Second Madam take those meeting gifts?” A’Ru asked quietly.

Thinking of coming to Chen Shi’s home and surely needing to meet the family, Qi Yue had prepared gifts, not expecting Chen Shi to have two homes.

“No need,” Qi Yue shook her head. “This way, it seems like we’re eager to meet them, and might put them in an awkward position.”

A’Ru nodded.

“So what do we do today?” A’Hao ran over and asked.

Seeing her bright, sparkling eyes, Qi Yue couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course, as you wish – we’re going shopping,” she said.

Meanwhile, Chen Shi entered the gates of Duke Deqing’s mansion. News of yesterday had brought family members from far and near, naturally leading to a large family reunion with tears and embraces.

“Now that you’ve come, don’t leave again,” Duke Deqing’s wife, Chen Fang Shi, held Chen Shi’s hand and cried. “I’m already seventy-one years old. I could close my eyes and die tomorrow. Every extra look at you counts.”

As a posthumous child of the Chen family’s eldest branch, with her mother being older, sickly, and having died when she was seven, Chen Xue had been raised by her fourth uncle’s wife, Chen Fang Shi. Their relationship was like mother and daughter. Duke Deqing had two biological daughters, and Chen Shi Xueniang was raised as the third daughter – essentially adopted, though the ceremony had never been performed.

Of course, the fourth branch had now become the Chen family’s main branch, as Chen Ning from this branch had been granted the title Duke Deqing, continuing the Chen clan’s glory.

Hearing this, she also had tears in her eyes but couldn’t help smiling.

“I won’t leave,” she nodded, sitting next to Chen Fang Shi. “Aunt is still very robust – don’t say such things.”

Everyone in the room naturally agreed, making Chen Fang Shi happy again.

“Your brother said you brought a young woman back? Who is she?” Chen Fang Shi asked again, squinting around the room but seeing no strangers.

Hearing Third Master Chen describe such special treatment, thinking she should have been brought over, everyone looked expectant.

“She went out to play,” Chen Shi said with a smile. “She doesn’t like meeting people, so I didn’t have her come over to avoid making her uncomfortable.”

Everyone in the room was stunned.

How was meeting them imposing on this young woman?

However, given Chen Shi Xueniang’s position in the family, no one dared say anything. They changed the subject and chatted and laughed until half the day passed. When mealtime came, everyone dispersed, leaving only Chen Shi and her brothers with Chen Fang Shi.

“Although you love staying over there, this is your real home. The rooms are all prepared,” Chen Fang Shi said, about to tear up again. “I don’t have many days left to live…”

Chen Shi quickly took her hand to comfort her.

“Yes, aunt, I’ll come keep you company,” she said gently.

“What do you want to do, coming back this time?” Second Master Chen, who had been silent, suddenly asked.

This was Chen Shi’s blood brother, about fifty years old. Due to poor health, he had retired early to enjoy his declining years at home and rarely appeared in public.

“She came back because she wanted to – this is her home,” Chen Fang Shi glared and scolded, somewhat displeased with Second Master Chen’s words.

Second Master Chen just looked at Chen Shi, as if trying to see into her heart.

“I want to enter the palace,” Chen Shi didn’t avoid the question, looking at her brother frankly. “Second brother, arrange for me to enter the palace and have a look.”

“Xueniang, last time you spoke recklessly, and only because the Grand Empress Dowager was there to protect you did our Chen family escape disaster. This time, what do you want to do again?” Second Master Chen said sternly with furrowed brow. “The Grand Empress Dowager is no longer here!”

Chen Shi looked at Second Master Chen and smiled.

“Brother, I was still young then. Now I’m already half-buried in the earth – how could I be so reckless again?” she said softly and gently.

Second Master Chen felt somewhat melancholy at her words. Indeed, how quickly decades had passed…

He looked at his sister, now old enough to be a grandmother, and sighed.

“If you can think this way, that’s best,” he said, relieved.

Chen Fang Shi also breathed a sigh of relief and patted Chen Shi’s hand.

“Xueniang is the most sensible child. Otherwise, how could the Grand Empress Dowager have liked you so much?” she sighed. “Let’s not speak of the past.”

“Yes, I think I don’t have much time left either, so while I can still move around, I want to visit the Grand Empress Dowager’s place in the palace again, to not waste her treating me like family,” Chen Shi said gently.

Second Master Chen scrutinized her for a moment, then finally nodded.

“Alright, I’ll arrange it for you,” he said.

Chen Shi looked at him with a smile and bowed her head in thanks.

“Good, good, we’ve talked for so long. Quick, serve the meal,” Chen Fang Shi laughed.

The maids, servants, and daughters-in-law who had been waiting came in, and the room immediately became lively.

At this time, a restaurant in the capital was also extremely lively. In the center of the hall, a storyteller was gesticulating dramatically while listeners cheered loudly. Amid these cheers came another commotion.

“Young master…”

A scream interrupted the hall’s festivities. Everyone saw someone tumbling down the stairs. Before they could see who it was, servants and attendants swarmed around the fallen person.

“No breath!”

“Someone’s been killed!”

Shouts erupted from the crowd, and the scene immediately boiled over.

“Make way! I’m a doctor!”

Someone shouted loudly in the chaos. The people of the capital had good manners – hearing this voice, they immediately cleared a path.

Hu San couldn’t be bothered to put down the various trinkets hanging on him, just threw the full boxes in his hands on the ground and rushed over.

Servants surrounded a man lying on the ground – sudden traumatic asphyxiation. Although he hadn’t practiced medicine in a while, as the direct senior disciple of divine physician Miss Qi, he couldn’t disgrace his master’s reputation. Hu San knelt down, immediately straightened the man’s head, pinched his mouth open to pull out his tongue, pressed his chest, and leaned down…

The crowd first fell silent, then erupted in thunderous noise.

Fan Yilin coughed and gasped, opening his eyes to see a large man’s face close to his, and his mouth… the man’s stench was clearly detectable.

He gasped sharply, stared wide-eyed, and recognized the person before him.

“It’s you again!” he screamed and rolled his eyes back, fainting.

“Assault!”

Chaotic voices rang through the hall mixed with whistles and cheers from onlookers, bubbling up like boiling water.

This time Hu San was luckier than last time. Because A’Hao wanted to listen to the storyteller, she was leaning against the third-floor railing and happened to see this scene. Her timely shrill shouts allowed Qi Yue to rush out immediately and rescue Hu San from the beating Fan Yilin’s servants were about to give him.

“He’s a doctor. He was saving someone,” Qi Yue said loudly, shielding Hu San behind her.

The servants looked at this woman who had suddenly appeared: smoke-yellow round-collar robe, yuanbao hairstyle with golden spotted kingfisher feather pearl flower butterflies adorned with pearls, bright eyes and brows, elegant bearing, and captivating grace.

Everyone who relied on their eyes and mouths for a living immediately knew this person was no ordinary individual. They stepped back a few paces, maintaining distance, but still dutifully surrounded them to prevent this audacious criminal from escaping.

“What doctor? Where’s this doctor from? Are there such… doctors?” the lead servant shouted sternly.

“It’s sudden traumatic asphyxiation,” Hu San quickly explained from behind. “He fell down the stairs. I just performed chest compressions, which were effective – his breathing has been restored.”

Qi Yue gestured for the servants to listen to Hu San’s words.

“What sudden asphyxiation compression…” the servant glared. “Stop with this nonsense… Don’t you know what family we are, you dog-eyed…”

Right, enough nonsense, start fighting.

The surrounding crowd clamored, and even the storyteller stood on his stool, ready to record the details for future storytelling.

But forget fighting – the servant’s words stopped before he finished.

Qi Yue waved the Duke Deqing Chen token in front of the servant’s eyes.

“What family are you?” she picked up the servant’s words and asked.

“Our own people, our own people,” the servant said with a changed, smiling face.

The watching crowd immediately booed.

“Disperse, disperse, nothing to see here,” everyone waved and turned away.

Life in the capital was fast-paced and time precious – it couldn’t be wasted casually.

This token was so effective? Qi Yue was very surprised. Indeed, having status and prestige meant you could go anywhere without fear.

“We are doctors,” she said again, putting away the token and looking at the person the servants were protecting behind them, invisible to her. “Let me quickly examine your master to see if he’s alright.”

“He just stumbled – actually nothing serious…” the servant hesitated, while not forgetting to bow to Hu San.

“This lowly one didn’t know – please don’t hold it against me, your lordship,” he said respectfully.

This respect was naturally not for Hu San, but for Duke Chen.

Qi Yue nodded and walked past him.

“You can’t say that. A fall can also cause asphyxiation. I once saw a young master who fell from his horse and asphyxiated because he was inadvertently kicked by the horse without anyone noticing…” she said as she walked.

She wondered what impact had caused this unlucky person’s condition…

The servant stared blankly at this woman walking by, while that man still stood motionless.

Who was the doctor?

At this moment, Qi Yue was also stunned.

“Young Master Fan?” she looked at the man lying on the ground and called out in surprise. “How is it you again?”

Fan Yilin had now groggily awakened and met Qi Yue’s eyes, his face full of disbelief.

“Come, slap me twice,” he turned to a nearby servant and said.

The servant stared at him blankly.

Fan Yilin looked completely serious.

Following the master’s words was a servant’s primary duty. He immediately raised his hand and slapped Fan Yilin.

Fan Yilin yelped loudly.

Qi Yue and the others were startled.

“Young Master Fan,” she quickly stepped forward and crouched down.

Fan Yilin looked at Qi Yue with teary eyes.

“Miss Qi,” he propped himself up with his hands, then thought of something and rolled his eyes back. “I can’t make it… I’m dying…”

Then he accurately fell into Qi Yue’s outstretched hands.

Indeed, it wasn’t a dream. The woman’s softness and fragrance immediately filled his nostrils.