Regarding Chi Can and Miss Li, Shao Mingyuan was happy to see it happen.

He was very clear that in this lifetime, he had no destiny with Miss Li, so rather than having Miss Li marry someone of unknown background in the future, it would be better for her to marry his good friend. At least Chi Can would treat Miss Li very well and wouldn’t turn the inner quarters into a smoky mess.

Was he sad? There was some sadness – he was a man after all. But having lived more than twenty years, there had been so many heart-wrenching things that he seemed to have grown numb to it.

“Don’t move, let me take a look.”

The young woman’s gentle voice carried a power that soothed the heart. Shao Mingyuan couldn’t help but turn his head and watch silently.

Qiao Zhao took out a silver needle from her pouch. The slender silver needle gleamed in the sunlight.

Chi Can laughed dryly: “Li San, what are you going to do?”

Qiao Zhao’s gaze never left Chi Can’s left eye as she held the silver needle and explained: “The stinger is still embedded in your skin – I need to pick it out.”

Seeing Chi Can’s hesitant expression, she comforted him: “If you don’t move, I can pick it out quickly.”

Chi Can blinked: “Go ahead then.”

“Brother Chi, please bear with it for a moment.”

The young woman moved closer, bringing with her a faint fragrance.

Chi Can quietly twitched his nose, recognizing the scent of fine agarwood. His gaze moved down to rest on the young woman’s fair wrist, where he indeed saw a string of agarwood prayer beads wrapped around her snow-white, slender wrist.

Judging by the color, that string of agarwood prayer beads had some age to them.

Where did this string of agarwood prayer beads come from?

Chi Can unconsciously frowned.

Born into nobility, his standards were naturally high. This string of agarwood prayer beads was of exceptional quality – even the imperial family didn’t have many strings that could compare to it. Such prayer beads didn’t come from the Li residence.

Who would give Li San such precious agarwood prayer beads?

“All done. Does it still hurt?” While Chi Can’s mind wandered, Qiao Zhao had already picked out the stinger. Seeing him still frowning, she asked.

“It hurts.” Chi Can came back to his senses, looking at Qiao Zhao with pitiful eyes.

His features were exquisitely perfect. Though one eye was swollen at the moment, it didn’t make him look ugly or ridiculous – it only evoked pity.

The handsome man had put away all his sharp edges, his eyes as clear as a child’s.

Qiao Zhao took out a small box from her pouch, no bigger than a fingernail. Opening it, she used her fingertip to take a bit of pale green ointment and gently applied it to Chi Can’s left eyelid.

The young woman’s fingertip was soft. As the ointment spread bit by bit, a cool sensation spread across his eyelid, immediately relieving the burning, stinging pain.

“How is it?”

Chi Can nodded: “Much better.”

He tried his best to hide the tenderness in his eyes, putting on a calm and casual appearance, afraid of scaring away the young woman who had finally gotten close to him.

Qiao Zhao didn’t put the small box away, instead placing it in Chi Can’s palm: “Brother Chi, keep this to apply. Three times a day.”

“I don’t have a mirror – I can’t see.” Chi Can said.

“Is that so?” The young woman’s thick eyelashes fluttered once, like sleeping butterflies suddenly spreading their wings, making one’s heart itch.

“Yes, without a mirror, what if I accidentally get it in my eye?”

Chi Can’s lips curved slightly upward, thinking to himself: In that case, Li San would have to help him apply it each time.

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes: “Brother Chi has a point.”

Then she took the medicine box from Chi Can’s hand and tossed it to Shao Mingyuan: “General Shao, you keep this ointment and help Brother Chi apply the medicine in the future.”

Chi Can’s expression twisted slightly.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Now, even the medicine box he’d planned to keep as a memento was gone.

He strode over to Shao Mingyuan’s side and took the medicine box back, clearing his throat: “Forget it, I won’t trouble others. I can use the stream water as a mirror when the time comes.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled without exposing his friend’s little scheme.

He worked efficiently, and before long, a fire was built in front of the thatched hut, with the enticing aroma of roasted meat wafting through the air.

“Can we eat it without salt?” Chi Can stared at the rabbit meat that had been roasted to a golden color and asked.

Shao Mingyuan brushed a layer of honey onto the rabbit meat and smiled: “We’ll make do with what we have.”

Chi Can stood up and walked toward the thatched hut: “How can we make do when it comes to food?”

He walked to the hut and called out: “Coroner Qian, do you have any salt?”

Coroner Qian poked his head out and sniffed hard: “Smells good. Quickly bring me my clothes.”

“First, tell me if you have salt or not! How can we eat without salt?” Chi Can stood still.

“I have some.” Coroner Qian pulled his head back in. After a while, he poked his head out again and handed out a dirty bowl containing grayish-white granules mixed with grass leaves and sand.

“This is salt?” Chi Can’s voice rose in pitch.

“What else would it be? Quickly give it to that young man, then hurry up and bring me my clothes. I want to come out and eat meat.”

Chi Can didn’t take the bowl. He turned to glance at the busy Shao Mingyuan, walked over to the stone, picked up the drying clothes with two fingers, and tossed them to Coroner Qian.

“There’s no salt.” Chi Can sat down beside Shao Mingyuan.

Rather than use that dirty salt, he’d prefer not to eat at all.

“The honey will give it some flavor.” Shao Mingyuan said, breaking open a plant tuber and smearing the oozing juice onto the roasted meat. “The juice from this tuber has a slightly salty taste – the roasted meat should still be edible.”

Chi Can glanced awkwardly at Qiao Zhao and muttered, “When did you develop the skill of roasting meat?”

“Practice makes perfect.”

Coroner Qian squeezed over: “Is it ready?”

Shao Mingyuan handed over a roasted rabbit: “You can eat it now.”

Coroner Qian took it and, not caring about the heat, directly bit off a large mouthful. After swallowing, he nodded repeatedly: “Delicious.”

Chi Can shifted to one side, the corner of his mouth twitching as he endured.

Shao Mingyuan rotated the wooden stick and asked Qiao Zhao, “Miss Li, would you like rabbit meat or roasted chicken?”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “Just give me a chicken leg.”

She had thought that the roasted chicken meal in the depths of the bamboo forest at Dafu Temple would become a permanent memory, but she hadn’t expected to eat it again so soon.

Honestly, she would rather miss it.

Shao Mingyuan handed the roasted chicken leg to Qiao Zhao, then shared the remaining roasted meat with Chi Can.

After a hearty meal, Coroner Qian wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said expressionlessly: “Now that we’ve eaten, come with me.”

Qiao Zhao knew that Coroner Qian’s test for her was about to begin.

The three followed Coroner Qian down the mountain and walked into the city. When he stopped, all three of their faces changed.

Coroner Qian had led them to the charity morgue.

The so-called charity morgue was a place specifically used to temporarily store coffins.

“Coroner Qian?” The gatekeeper jumped up upon seeing Coroner Qian. “Oh, you’re finally willing to come.”

“Is Little Six here?”

“He is – he just arrived not long ago.”

Coroner Qian didn’t respond.

He had come at this time because he estimated Little Six would be here.

The gatekeeper turned and shouted at the top of his voice: “Little Six, your master is here!”

Soon, a young man ran out. Upon seeing Coroner Qian, his expression became excited: “Master, you—”

Coroner Qian waved his hand: “Let’s go inside and talk.”