Marquis Dingxi peeked his head in from outside the door. Before he could see clearly, Zhou Maochun hurled a teacup at him.

“You surnamed Chang! Don’t force me to throw you out!” he shouted, somewhat jumping mad.

Marquis Dingxi chuckled and quickly waved his hands.

“I don’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to see if Yueniang would like some tea. I brought it from Yongqing Prefecture—perhaps she’s used to it,” he said while looking at Qi Yue in the room.

“Drink what drink! My Yueniang doesn’t drink tea!” Zhou Maochun shouted.

Marquis Dingxi wasn’t angry and continued smiling cheerfully.

“Fine, fine. You continue talking, continue talking,” he said, retreating.

Zhou Maochun was so angry his beard bristled and his eyes bulged.

“No wonder you wanted a divorce. Having such a father-in-law is truly too embarrassing!” he said.

Qi Yue smiled as she poured tea for him, making no comment.

“Adoptive Father, you should still go look at Madam Chen’s illness,” she said. “I feel it’s not good.”

Zhou Maochun made an “mm” sound.

“Yueniang,” he said after consideration, “there’s a saying: ‘Treat illness, not fate.’ I think this Madam Chen’s problem is fate, not illness.”

Ah?

Qi Yue was stunned by his words.

How could adoptive fathers all say this phrase?

Her father had once said this too, and she had given him a good critique for it.

“Adoptive Father, let’s not engage in this idealism…” she said with a laugh.

“What is idealism?” Zhou Maochun asked.

Qi Yue touched her nose.

“Nothing. Adoptive Father, let’s examine the patient before making decisions,” she said.

Zhou Maochun made an “oh” sound.

“So idealism means I’m talking nonsense without examining the patient?” he said with some teasing.

“No,” Qi Yue quickly laughed. “No, Adoptive Father, your medical skills are superb. Reading pulses through silk threads and diagnosing illness through walls is nothing to you.”

Zhou Maochun laughed heartily.

“Stop talking nonsense,” he said, lifting his tea and drinking it all. “It’s like this. The meaning of ‘treat illness, not fate’—Yueniang, you actually understand it too. Whether a person is ill or not, the body will send warnings, and the person will sense it themselves. Madam Chen refuses to see a doctor, either because she says she’s not ill and doesn’t need to see a doctor, or because she doesn’t want to be treated anymore…”

He looked up at Qi Yue.

“The patient herself is already rejecting medical treatment. Even if medicine is prescribed, first, she won’t take it, and second, even if she takes it, it won’t work,” he said. “What you need to do now isn’t urgently request a doctor, but first go convince Madam Chen.”

While they were talking inside, Chang Yuncheng was outside accompanying Marquis Dingxi.

Marquis Dingxi was cheerfully watching servants clean a guest room.

This was a room used by Imperial Medical Academy clerks when on duty, with conditions comparable to an ordinary inn room at best.

Because Zhou Maochun was making the Imperial Medical Academy his home, and Marquis Dingxi was determined to properly express his sincerity to Zhou Maochun, he insisted on following him. Zhou Maochun, worn down by his nagging and wanting peace and quiet, agreed to let him move in.

Chang Yuncheng looked back at the room again and couldn’t help but sigh.

Though the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion was far from the capital, it was in no way inferior to other marquises’ wealth. Marquis Dingxi Chang Rong had lived in luxury since birth. Especially after becoming fascinated with elegance, he paid even more attention to food, clothing, and living standards.

This room couldn’t even compare to servants’ quarters in the marquis’s mansion, yet Marquis Dingxi was going to live in it.

Looking at Marquis Dingxi’s cheerful expression, Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help feeling somewhat heartbroken.

“Father, you should go stay at our residence,” he said.

Though Marquis Dingxi didn’t come to the capital often, he had purchased property there.

“You’re being foolish,” Marquis Dingxi maintained his fatherly authority in front of his son, glaring at him.

“Father, you don’t need to do this. Director Zhou understands in his heart. It’ll be fine after a while,” Chang Yuncheng said.

Marquis Dingxi snorted.

“I said you’re foolish and you’re really not smart,” he said. “Of course I know that old man understands in his heart—he’s deliberately making things difficult.”

He carefully glanced toward Zhou Maochun’s room.

“I’m not giving him face—I’m giving Yueniang face,” he said in a low voice, then sighed. “At this point, don’t worry about who’s embarrassing whom. As long as we can handle things successfully and live good lives, everything will be fine.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at Marquis Dingxi. He really wasn’t used to this kind of father. He wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words, standing there with a very strange expression.

Just then, Qi Yue came out.

Marquis Dingxi immediately beamed with smiles, then turned to see Chang Yuncheng’s expression and became angry.

“What’s with that ugly look? You’ll scare ghosts!” he slapped Chang Yuncheng’s shoulder and scolded quietly. “Hurry up and go talk properly.”

After shouting, he ran over himself without caring about Chang Yuncheng.

“Yueniang, let Yuncheng escort you back,” he said with a smile.

Zhou Maochun’s irritated voice came from inside the room.

“Escort what escort! My Yueniang has been in the capital for so long—does she need escorting?”

Marquis Dingxi ignored this, winking at Chang Yuncheng before happily stepping into the room.

“…In-law, what would you like for lunch? I brought a cook. Last time was too rushed—you didn’t get to taste our Yongqing Prefecture delicacies, so I specially brought a cook this time…”

“…I say, Marquis Dingxi, you really dare to say anything! You brought that cook for yourself! I’m not a three-year-old child!… And what are you calling me? Who told you to call me in-law? Watch yourself…”

Hearing the bickering from inside, Qi Yue looked at Chang Yuncheng and smiled.

“Let’s go, driver,” she said with a laugh, tilting her head.

Chang Yuncheng smiled and raised his hand to tap her head once.

“Are you going home first or to ask Hu San about the project?” he asked, reaching out to help Qi Yue into the carriage.

Qi Yue grabbed his hand and pulled.

“What are you doing? Are you so eager to get rid of me and go home?” she said with feigned surprise, staring at him.

Chang Yuncheng was stunned by her words, then couldn’t quite believe it.

“Actually, Adoptive Father was wrong,” Qi Yue said with a wrinkled nose and a smile. “I’m not familiar with the capital at all. Though I’ve been here about half a month, I haven’t been anywhere.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at her.

“What about you? Have you ever played around here?” Qi Yue asked.

Played around?

Chang Yuncheng shook his head.

“Each time I come and go in a hurry. I can’t think of what to do for fun or what to see,” he said.

“Shall we go look around?” Qi Yue asked with a smile.

Chang Yuncheng hesitated.

“You have many things to be busy with now…” he said.

“Silly,” Qi Yue looked at him and smiled. “No matter how busy things are, they can’t compare to how important you are.”

Again… again…

Chang Yuncheng felt tingling from his feet to the top of his head.

This woman—where did she learn all these sweet words! Simply… simply too much to bear!

“Going this way, we can reach Dajue Temple. I heard the magnolia flowers are blooming perfectly,” Chang Yuncheng said while reaching out to take a chubby clay doll that Qi Yue was holding.

Hearing this, Qi Yue quickly looked ahead, still chewing on a piece of sticky cake.

“Flowers to admire?” she said, turning to look around frantically. “Should we buy some snacks to eat under the trees while flower viewing?”

Chang Yuncheng looked at the bags large and small hanging fully from her arms and smiled.

“Dajue Temple has vegetarian meals,” he said, taking several more bags from Qi Yue’s arms and hanging them on his own already full arms. “The vegetarian restaurant is right beside the magnolia trees. You can see the whole courtyard of flowers from the window—no need to stand foolishly under the trees eating.”

“How is that foolish?” Qi Yue glared. “That’s ambiance.”

Chang Yuncheng laughed heartily, bumping her with his elbow.

“Come on, let’s go quickly.”

Unfortunately, when they reached Dajue Temple, the vegetarian restaurant was fully booked.

“I’ll pay more…” Chang Yuncheng was quite embarrassed and somewhat anxious.

Even the young monks in the capital carried themselves with some grandeur.

“Benefactor, Buddhist law is equal,” he said indifferently with some arrogance, bowing and turning to leave.

What a joke. Did they think Dajue Temple was some rural temple?

Money? They saw the most of that!

Qi Yue smiled and pulled back Chang Yuncheng, who wanted to continue arguing.

“Who told us to decide on a whim,” she laughed. “This shows their vegetarian food is really good.”

“It’s not that good. I think it’s not as good as our Great Buddha Temple in Yongqing Prefecture,” Chang Yuncheng said indignantly.

“Yes, yes. I’ve also eaten at Great Buddha Temple. I thought it was especially delicious too—probably nowhere could surpass it,” Qi Yue said with a smile, pulling Chang Yuncheng’s arm to turn around.

These words evoked Chang Yuncheng’s memories, thinking of that moment when they were separated by a window and couldn’t see each other. His expression grew slightly rigid.

“But we never ate together,” he said. “Tomorrow—tomorrow I’ll come early and book the whole place.”

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“You have money to burn,” she said, patting his back with a laugh, making the things in her hands rattle.

This reminded Qi Yue.

“See, I still had foresight and didn’t listen to you about throwing these things away. Come on, let’s sit on the ground and have a picnic under the flowers,” she said with a smile.

Before she finished speaking, Chang Yuncheng suddenly pulled her to hide behind a nearby rock.

“What…” Qi Yue opened her mouth in surprise.

Chang Yuncheng covered her mouth.

An assassination? Being followed?

Qi Yue’s heart pounded as she gripped his hand.

Hurried footsteps came from the vegetarian restaurant.

“…Miss Qi?” Fan Yilin called out loudly.

Li Tong, who followed closely, looked left and right outside the door. There were quite a few people, but no sign of that woman.

“You must have heard wrong. Where is Miss Qi?” he said. Though he spoke this way, he couldn’t help standing on his toes to look around.

“How could I hear wrong?” Fan Yilin said. “I heard her laugh. Miss Qi’s laugh is different from others’—very pleasant.”

Li Tong couldn’t help coughing lightly.

“Don’t say such things in front of the young master,” he said.

Fan Yilin snorted.

“So what if I say it? Am I afraid of him?” he said. “I’d beat him without blinking.”

Right, you get beaten so hard you can’t blink…

Li Tong thought with amusement while looking around again.

Among the red flowers and green willows, the bustling crowd indeed showed no sign of that woman.

“Let’s go. You heard wrong,” he patted Fan Yilin’s shoulder with slight disappointment. “Miss Qi is busy now—how would she have time to come out?”

Fan Yilin walked a few steps left and right, unwilling to give up, before reluctantly abandoning the search.

“I clearly heard it… how could I hear wrong…”

Only after the voices disappeared did Chang Yuncheng breathe a sigh of relief.

“What bad luck—how do we keep running into this guy everywhere?” he muttered.

Qi Yue laughed, her hand pressed against his chest.

“How wonderful—they’re both there, so there are seats inside. Why don’t we…” she said.

Before she finished, Chang Yuncheng interrupted with a glare.

“No way,” he shouted, then quickly lowered his voice and pulled Qi Yue away from behind the rock without choosing a path.

Qi Yue stopped talking and smiled, letting him lead her forward.

Withered yellow bamboo leaves fell, covering them both from head to toe.