Hao Ge’er’s condition was rather suspicious.

From the pulse readings and the symptoms he displayed, it was indeed a case of wind-cold without doubt. But if it truly was wind-cold, how could it inexplicably improve just because his birth mother came?

From the onset to recovery of wind-cold, the first two days should show a gradually worsening trend.

Qiao Zhao stared at the mother and son, lost in thought.

If Hao Ge’er’s condition could improve with Bing Niang’s company, what would be the outcome?

Hao Ge’er would return to Bing Niang’s side.

In other words, Hao Ge’er had fallen ill at the most opportune time.

There was definitely something wrong with this, and what she needed to do was find out what that problem was.

“Third girl?” Old Madam Deng called out.

Qiao Zhao snapped back to reality and smiled: “I’m relieved that Hao Ge’er is getting better. Grandmother, I just remembered I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll head back first.”

“Go ahead.”

Qiao Zhao returned to Yahe Courtyard and flipped through the box of medical books that Physician Li had left behind, over and over again. Finding no clues, she closed her eyes and leaned against the warming basket, carefully recalling all the medical books she had read over the years.

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, it was dusk.

Binglu nudged A’Zhu: “Has Miss fallen asleep?”

“I’ll go check.” A’Zhu took an outer garment and walked over.

Qiao Zhao suddenly opened her eyes and straightened up.

“Miss—” A’Zhu stepped back half a step in surprise.

Binglu giggled and brought over a diamond-shaped mirror with light steps: “Miss, look! You have a pattern imprinted on your right cheek.”

Qiao Zhao looked closely and indeed saw that her right cheek bore marks from leaning against the warming basket all this time.

She casually rubbed at it and instructed Binglu: “Go tell Chen Guang that I want to see their general.”

Binglu hurried to relay the message, and soon after, Qiao Zhao met with Shao Mingyuan in the residence next to the Li mansion.

“Missing me?” Shao Mingyuan reached out and ruffled the top of Qiao Zhao’s head.

The young lady wore her hair in twin buns, and her beautiful hair was instantly disheveled by the man’s large hand.

Qiao Zhao covered her hair buns and glared at Shao Mingyuan: “Don’t mess it up.”

Who knew the man’s large hand would slide through her beautiful hair, then land on the young lady’s tender cheek: “Where were you dozing off?”

Qiao Zhao swatted away Shao Mingyuan’s mischievous hand and pressed her lip corners: “I wasn’t sleeping. I was leaning against the warming basket, thinking about things, and lost track of time.”

Shao Mingyuan looked at Qiao Zhao with a smile, his pitch-black eyes like the purest black gemstones, filled with gentle light: “So you weren’t thinking about me, but thinking about things.”

Qiao Zhao sat down and played with the sachet tied at her waist: “Tingquan, regarding the matter I asked you to investigate, when do you think we’ll have results?”

“You mean the new concubine in your household?”

Qiao Zhao nodded.

“Your uncle serves as the prefect of Lingnan. At this time of year, the waterways are impassable, so we can only take the land route. I estimate that if all goes smoothly, a round trip won’t be completed until the first month.” After Shao Mingyuan finished speaking, he raised his eyebrows slightly: “What’s wrong? Has something happened in your household?”

“Nothing major. Tingquan, I heard that the Marquis Taining’s residence has a library with quite a rich collection of books. Is this true?”

The library of the Marquis Taining’s residence, called Canghai Tower, was quite famous among the scholars of the capital. However, because of the high status of the marquis’s household, very few people had the opportunity to borrow books.

Hearing Qiao Zhao mention this, Shao Mingyuan was slightly surprised and looked at her quietly.

“Tingquan, please help me ask Big Brother Zhu to lend me some books.”

“What books do you want to borrow?” Shao Mingyuan asked, holding Qiao Zhao’s hand, feeling very comforted in his heart.

With Zhaozhao’s friendship with Zi Zhe, directly asking Zi Zhe to borrow books would be no problem, yet Zhaozhao was willing to borrow books through him.

See? Zhaozhao must be missing him.

Thinking this, someone couldn’t help but grin foolishly.

Qiao Zhao had no idea that someone was overthinking again. She glanced at him and said: “Books about Lingnan, I want them all.”

Upon hearing the word “Lingnan,” Shao Mingyuan’s smile faded slightly, and his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

Qiao Zhao stood up: “It’s getting dark, so it’s not convenient for me to stay long. I’ll return to the residence first. If you manage to borrow the books, find a way to have Chen Guang deliver them to me.”

“Leaving already?” Shao Mingyuan looked at Qiao Zhao, feeling like he could never look at her enough.

Zhaozhao was already his legitimate fiancée. If he could learn a few more good dishes to please his future father-in-law, perhaps the father-in-law would be so happy that he’d marry Zhaozhao to him earlier.

“What else should I do if I don’t leave?” Qiao Zhao gave someone a look, and her face inexplicably heated up.

Shao Mingyuan took Qiao Zhao’s hand and said gently, “Stay, I’ll cook for you.”

Qiao Zhao instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but when she couldn’t, she simply let him be and looked down: “Another day.”

Shao Mingyuan released Qiao Zhao’s hand and leaned close to her ear: “Wait a moment.”

Seeing the man stride away with his long legs, Qiao Zhao smiled.

Shao Mingyuan quickly returned, carrying an additional slender, exquisite box in his hand.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and you’ll know.”

Qiao Zhao opened the box to find a white jade hairpin lying inside. Unlike the common hairpins that were either carved with flowers or phoenixes, this jade hairpin’s head featured a pair of adorably naive little rabbits.

“I polished it by hand. Not bad craftsmanship, right?” Shao Mingyuan asked with a smile.

Qiao Zhao touched the smoothly polished pair of little rabbits and looked up at him.

The man lowered his head and took her hand: “Two little rabbits, the two of us.”

Qiao Zhao’s eyes suddenly reddened.

If she were still the original Qiao Zhao, then both she and Shao Mingyuan would be born in the year of the rabbit.

The two of them truly were two little rabbits, similar in age and intimately close.

“Moved to tears?” Shao Mingyuan asked with a low laugh.

Qiao Zhao gave him a look: “Don’t be so narcissistic. I’m not born in the year of the rabbit now.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled slightly: “Look at the lower layer of the box.”

Only then did Qiao Zhao discover that beneath the fine red velvet cloth inside the box was another layer. When she lifted it, there was another hairpin, but this one was made of emerald jade, with a little pig as the hairpin head.

Seeing the young lady pick up the jade hairpin and stare at it blankly, Shao Mingyuan claimed credit: “I remembered! You’re born in the year of the pig now.”

Hehe, he was still the most thoughtful, having prepared two options.

“So you want me to wear a pig on my head for the New Year?”

Other young ladies all wore phoenix-headed hairpins, while she wore a pig-headed hairpin. This image was truly hard to imagine.

This big fool!

Shao Mingyuan scratched his head: “I think flowers, grass, birds, and beasts are all about the same.”

Qiao Zhao pressed her lip corners.

Fine, she shouldn’t discuss jewelry with a man.

“Thank you, your craftsmanship is quite good.” Regardless of her complaints, Qiao Zhao’s heart was warm. She carefully wrapped up both hairpins and put them away.

“Zhaozhao—” Shao Mingyuan tugged at Qiao Zhao’s sleeve, his tone carrying a hint of wheedling: “Have you prepared a gift for me?”

Qiao Zhao was stunned and glanced at him: “It’s not New Year yet.”

“But I want the gift you’ve prepared for me now.”

“What do you want?”

“The pouch I wear is broken. Could you sew me a pouch? You don’t need to embroider any flowers on it, just something simple will do.”

Mm, something simple wouldn’t tire Zhaozhao too much.

Qiao Zhao: “…” Make a pouch by hand? She’d rather wear the pig-headed hairpin for the New Year instead!