Physician Li walked in and threw out the words “You all wait outside,” then slammed the door shut with a bang, leaving only Binglu in the room.

Even this commotion failed to wake the person on the bed.

Physician Li strode over and placed his hand on Qiao Zhao’s wrist.

Binglu asked carefully: “Physician, is my miss alright?”

“She won’t die.”

Binglu bit her lip.

How could this old man speak like that? Wasn’t he her miss’s godfather? What was all this talk about dying? Bah, bah, bah – her miss would live to be a hundred years old.

She would also live to be a hundred years old, so she could continue serving the miss then!

The little maid made a grand resolution.

Physician Li withdrew his hand and took out a porcelain bottle from his medicine box. He opened the stopper, poured out a pill, and placed it in Qiao Zhao’s mouth, instructing Binglu: “Give her water.”

But Binglu’s eyes were staring fixedly at a somewhat worn pouch in the corner of the opened medicine box, lost in thought.

Physician Li tapped Binglu on the head and scolded: “Are you stupid, girl? If you don’t give her water soon, you’ll choke your miss to death!”

This maid wasn’t as clever as the one called A’Zhu.

Binglu was hurt by the tap, so much that tears were about to flow, but she didn’t complain at all. She hurriedly poured water and carefully supported Qiao Zhao’s upper body to feed her.

Qiao Zhao was just sleeping deeply from the fever, not in a deep coma, so she reflexively swallowed the water.

Binglu breathed a sigh of relief, used a clean handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, and couldn’t help but glance at the medicine box again.

Physician Li stroked his beard: “What are you looking at randomly, little maid?”

Binglu was the type to speak her mind, so she bit her lip and said: “This servant is looking at that pouch in your medicine box.”

Physician Li’s gaze followed hers, his expression changed slightly, and he suddenly snapped the medicine box shut. He turned and stared coldly at Binglu: “What’s so interesting about a pouch? When girl Zhao wakes up, I’ll have to properly scold her about how the maid she keeps by her side has such poor manners!”

Hearing that she had brought shame to her miss, Binglu immediately became anxious and hurriedly explained: “No, no, Physician Li! This servant thinks that old pouch in your medicine box looks very similar to my miss’s pouch!”

It was so distinctively ugly that she had racked her brains to find something complimentary to say about it at the time – she had a deep impression of it.

“The pouches are similar?” Physician Li was startled upon hearing this.

Afraid he wouldn’t believe her, Binglu immediately took out a plain pouch from her bosom and held it in front of Physician Li: “Physician, look – aren’t they alike? Our miss’s pouch even has fish skin sewn inside. This servant thinks the miss is very fond of this pouch – she specifically put it away when changing clothes—”

Before she could finish speaking, Physician Li snatched the pouch away and stared at it for a long time, his expression gradually changing.

This pouch’s style was indeed the same as the one girl Qiao had once given him, and girl Qiao’s pouch also had a layer of fish skin sewn inside—

Physician Li gripped the pouch tightly, his gaze turning toward the person lying on the bed.

The young girl’s cheeks were gradually regaining their color, her breathing was even and shallow, but she still showed no signs of awakening.

Excessive fatigue and physical exhaustion – even the best medicine couldn’t replace the restorative power of sleep.

However, Physician Li’s expression grew grave as he took out several golden needles and said to Binglu, “You go out too.”

Binglu glanced at the sleeping Qiao Zhao but didn’t move.

“Get out. When I perform acupuncture, I hate being disturbed.”

“Alright then, I’ll leave my miss in your care, Physician.”

As soon as Binglu left, Physician Li immediately inserted the golden needles into several of Qiao Zhao’s acupoints. Before long, Qiao Zhao’s eyelids fluttered slightly, and she opened her eyes.

“Grandpa Li?”

Physician Li held the pouch in front of Qiao Zhao and asked: “Where did this pouch come from?”

“I made it.” In front of Physician Li, Qiao Zhao had no sense of wariness and answered casually.

“You made it?” Physician Li’s heart was pounding wildly, his eyes fixed intently on Qiao Zhao. “How did you know to sew fish skin inside the pouch?”

“For waterproofing, of course. That way, if it rains, the things inside the pouch won’t get damp or wet.” Qiao Zhao smiled sweetly, meeting Physician Li’s gaze calmly.

Physician Li’s heart had jumped to his throat, which was quite overwhelming for someone his age. He hurriedly took out a pill and put it in his mouth to calm himself. After recovering, he turned and opened his medicine box, taking out that old pouch.

Qiao Zhao watched quietly throughout, remaining composed.

Physician Li placed the old pouch side by side with the one he had gotten from Binglu, looking at Qiao Zhao.

“Girl Zhao.”

“Mm?”

“Don’t you think these two pouches look very similar?”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “They look identical.”

So, from their chance encounter in the south, all of Grandpa Li’s suspicions, all that sense of familiarity, had finally led to this moment when he asked the question directly?

Physician Li remained silent, turning the old pouch inside out and pointing it out to Qiao Zhao: “The inside of this one is also made of fish skin.”

He gazed deeply at Qiao Zhao and slowly said, “This pouch was given to me by grandpa’s other granddaughter many years ago.”

Qiao Zhao gently curved the corners of her lips, her pale lips gaining a hint of rosy color.

She smiled and said, “Grandpa Li has kept this old pouch for a very long time.”

Physician Li didn’t respond to Qiao Zhao’s words, just continued looking at her as if he wanted to see straight into her heart.

After a long silence, Physician Li asked in a hoarse voice: “Girl Zhao, is it you?”

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes, which gradually grew moist.

Her thick eyelashes, like feather fans, trembled gently, forming a crystal tear drop that slowly slid down her pale cheek. The young girl raised her eyes, looked at the old man so close before her, and said softly: “Yes.”

In this world, from now on, there would finally be someone in front of whom she could be Qiao Zhao.

Physician Li seemed unable to believe he had so easily received a positive answer.

He was stunned for a moment, then, after a long while, suddenly grabbed Qiao Zhao’s wrist and stared directly at her, his eyes showing wild excitement: “How is this possible? How is this possible!”

He took a deep breath, released his grip, and suddenly began laughing maniacally.

So his research these past few years wasn’t the ravings of a madman – he wasn’t possessed by demons!

Physician Li’s laughter was too wild, too unrestrained, as if he had finally moved away a stubborn boulder that had long pressed upon his heart. The people outside pushed open the door and rushed in.

The laughter stopped abruptly. Physician Li darkened his face and roared: “All of you get out! I’m not finished treating her yet!”

Chi Can stood there without moving: “Physician, that’s not right. I can see Miss Li has already awakened—”

Before he could finish speaking, Physician Li swept his sleeve, and silver needles flew toward them like scattered flowers.

Yang Houcheng, who had experienced the treatment of little silver needles before, was most familiar with the consequences. His expression changed as he shouted: “Oh no! The silver needles are poisoned!”

In that instant, Shao Mingyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he grabbed Chi Can’s collar and pushed him backward, while simultaneously sweeping his other hand rapidly. All the silver needles were blocked by his sleeve and fell to the ground.

“Please calm your anger, Physician. We’ll withdraw immediately.” Shao Mingyuan still wore a smile at the corners of his mouth, maintaining perfect courtesy.

He glanced at Qiao Zhao, nodded, and was about to withdraw when Physician Li spoke up: “Wait!”