Living in the Xu family was both joyful and unsettling for Qing Yun Ge. Everyone in the Xu household was very easy to get along with, which was a novel and interesting experience for Qing Yun Ge, who had grown up with only her father for company. The two Madams Xu and Sister Qin Zhong were extremely caring toward her. Although she needed to learn many things she had never known before, which made her frustrated at how slow she was, the two aunts and Sister Qin Zhong didn’t get angry and often comforted her. What truly troubled Qing Yun Ge was that her earlier feeling of being somewhat afraid of Xu Qingchen proved correct, because… most people in the Xu family were also afraid of him. Moreover, Xu Qingchen was stern… Even though Xu Qingchen was still ill and physically weak, while she was healthy and skilled in martial arts, she was still afraid of him.
“Qing Yun Ge… Qing Yun Ge…” In the study, Qing Yun Ge diligently practiced calligraphy using Young Master Qingchen’s model. Hearing Qin Zhong’s voice, she raised her head and wiped her face, immediately smearing a black ink mark across her originally clean and beautiful face, though she remained oblivious to it.
“Sister… Zhong’er…”
Qin Zhong stood at the door, covering her mouth and smiling at the dazed young woman sitting behind the desk, “Qing Yun Ge, what are you doing?”
Qing Yun Ge pouted, saying somewhat pitifully, “I’m practicing calligraphy.”
Qin Zhong walked forward, looked at Qing Yun Ge’s writing, and smiled, “Qing Yun Ge’s writing has improved a lot. It’s very good now, why keep practicing?” Coming from a scholarly family and once being a famous talented lady in the Chu capital, if Qin Zhong said it was good, it showed that Qing Yun Ge’s writing was indeed presentable.
Qing Yun Ge said softly, “Xu Qingchen says practicing calligraphy can cultivate one’s character.” Her poor big eyes blinked at Qin Zhong, practically screaming ‘I don’t want to write’ on her face. Seeing Qing Yun Ge’s pitiful expression, Qin Zhong could only sigh helplessly. Although Qing Yun Ge could be occasionally mischievous, she was so obedient it made people’s hearts ache. She followed Young Master Qingchen’s words so absolutely that even Madam Xu found it hard to watch. Yet no matter how much Qing Yun Ge disliked what Young Master Qingchen ordered, as long as he spoke, she would follow his instructions without any compromise.
Qin Zhong smiled as she used a handkerchief to wipe the ink marks from Qing Yun Ge’s face, saying with a gentle smile, “Qing Yun Ge is doing very well, why need to stay cooped up in the room cultivating character every day? I’m going shopping with Ting’er and Tianxiang, why don’t you come along?”
Seeing the ink stains on Qin Zhong’s snow-white handkerchief, Qing Yun Ge finally realizes she has made a fool of herself. She quickly took the handkerchief from Qin Zhong’s hand to wipe herself, and hearing Qin Zhong’s words, she was very tempted. But looking at the half-finished writing on the table, her delicate face fell. If Xu Qingchen found out she had run off halfway through writing, he would punish her to write twice as much—her fingers would break!
“Come on, let’s go. Sister Zhong’er will help explain to Big Brother, all right? Big Brother is always reasonable. How can a young lady stay at home all day without moving?” Qin Zhong smiled as she pulled Qing Yun Ge toward the door.
“Sister-in-law, where are you going?” Just as they left the study, they ran into Young Master Qingchen coming their way.
Though he wore a smile that seemed as warm as a spring breeze, when Qing Yun Ge saw it, she quickly hid behind Qin Zhong like a mouse seeing a cat. Seeing this, though Xu Qingchen’s smile remained unchanged, his eyes darkened slightly. Qin Zhong, however, didn’t sense any awkwardness between the two and smiled graciously, “Big Brother, I was just about to look for you. Ting’er, Tianxiang, Wuyou and I want to go out for a walk, and we thought to take Qing Yun Ge along. She stays in the mansion all day without going anywhere; look how wan her little face has become.”
Actually, Qing Yun Ge wasn’t wan at all, but Xu Qingchen did feel that Qing Yun Ge’s smile wasn’t as bright and brilliant as before they came to Li City, and she always seemed to dodge and hide when she saw him. Young Master Qingchen felt quite wronged—when he was recovering in the valley, he and Qing Yun Ge had gotten along very well, and she had been very close to him. But after leaving, for no reason, Qing Yun Ge became somewhat afraid of him. Young Master Qingchen, despite his supreme intelligence, couldn’t figure out what he had done to make the young girl so afraid of him. Young Master Qingchen’s usually infallible charm seemed to have failed; no matter how kind he was, Qing Yun Ge always maintained an obedient, instruction-following demeanor with him.
After a moment of silence, seeing Qing Yun Ge’s hopeful big eyes peeking out from behind Qin Zhong, Xu Qingchen sighed inwardly and said, “You can’t go out today.”
Qing Yun Ge’s originally bright eyes immediately dimmed. Xu Qingchen continued, “Master Shen Yang has come and wants to meet you.”
“Master Shen Yang?” Qing Yun Ge blinked, quickly realizing, “Is it the Divine Doctor Shen Yang?” As a student of medicine, Qing Yun Ge naturally paid special attention to Shen Yang, the world-famous divine doctor. Although she knew Shen Yang was in Li City, since coming to the Xu family, she had been busy learning various etiquette and completing various tasks assigned by Xu Qingchen, leaving her no time to visit Shen Yang.
Xu Qingchen nodded and asked, “Does Qing Yun Ge want to meet him?”
“Of course, I want to meet him! Why would Master Shen come to see me personally?” Qing Yun Ge quickly replied, while also showing excited confusion. Shen Yang was the world-renowned great divine doctor, the First Physician of Prince Ding’s mansion. She was just an unknown little girl; how would Shen Yang know about her?
Xu Qingchen nodded and said, “In that case, let’s go to the front hall. Princess Changle has also come.”
In the main hall, Shen Yang sat drinking tea. However, the anger on his face didn’t look like that of a visiting guest. Madam Xu sat beside him keeping company, her face also showing slight helplessness. Although Shen Yang was only Prince Ding’s physician, he saved the Prince’s life and held considerable prestige in both Prince Ding’s mansion and the Mo family’s army. Just for his miraculous medical skills alone, the Xu family couldn’t be discourteous, especially since this time, the Xu family had indeed acted inappropriately.
“Master, please don’t frighten Qing Yun Ge,” Mo Wuyou sat below Shen Yang, covering her mouth and smiling gently. She had met Qing Yun Ge several times and was quite fond of the lovable girl. She just hadn’t expected Qing Yun Ge to have a connection with her master.
Shen Yang snorted lightly, mumbling about girls caring more for outsiders. Mo Wuyou’s face immediately turned red, and she dared not persuade him further.
“Aunt Xu, has Divine Doctor Shen come?” Qing Yun Ge’s voice came from the doorway before she arrived. Madam Xu smiled and beckoned to her, “Qing Yun Ge, come quickly. This is Divine Doctor Shen Yang, come and pay your respects.”
Qing Yun Ge came forward and properly performed a curtsey, “Qing Yun Ge greets Divine Doctor Shen.”
Shen Yang glanced down at Qing Yun Ge, warmth flashing in his eyes. He nodded and said, “You’ve learned your manners well.” Hearing this, Qing Yun Ge lowered her head shyly and said, “It’s all thanks to Aunt Xu and Sister Zhong’er’s teaching.” Originally she had found learning these etiquettes somewhat boring, but now being praised by Shen Yang made her feel all the effort had been worth it. For some reason, seeing this seemingly ill-tempered Divine Doctor Shen before her, she felt especially close to him. She attributed this to her admiration for Shen Yang.
Madam Xu smiled as she pulled Qing Yun Ge to her side and said, “Qing Yun Ge is a clever and well-behaved good child.” Madam Xu spoke these words with a genuine fondness for Qing Yun Ge, not only because she was the girl her son had brought back but also because Qing Yun Ge’s nature made the childless Madam Xu truly love her. Although she had her niece Ye Li, Ye Li’s nature was calm and quiet, and she was one of the world’s most extraordinary women—there was little Madam Xu could help her with. Qing Yun Ge’s pure innocence and complete ignorance of worldly matters made Madam Xu all the more concerned and protective.
As they spoke, Xu Qingchen and Qin Zhong also arrived. Seeing Xu Qingchen, Shen Yang’s face, which had softened somewhat, became stern again, and he snorted lightly, remaining coldly silent. Xu Qingchen was not offended and smiled calmly, “Has Qing Yun Ge met Master Shen?”
Qing Yun Ge looked puzzled at the suddenly angry Shen Yang, then at the smiling Xu Qingchen, nodded and smiled, “Yes, Master Shen praised me.”
Xu Qingchen smiled gently and said, “Is that so? Master Shen rarely praises people. But Qing Yun Ge mustn’t become proud.”
Qing Yun Ge nodded repeatedly, but her bright eyes were already fixed on Shen Yang. Since her father’s death, she had no one to guide her medical studies, and when she encountered problems, she could only slowly figure things out by herself, making no progress for a long time. Thinking of this, Qing Yun Ge’s gaze toward Shen Yang became even more eager.
Seeing Qing Yun Ge’s undisguised look of admiration toward Shen Yang, Xu Qingchen’s expression darkened slightly as he looked at Shen Yang and said, “If Master Shen has something to say, Qing Yun Ge is here now. Please speak freely.”
Shen Yang snorted lightly, but his gaze toward Qing Yun Ge was completely gentle. Although he respected the Xu family, it didn’t mean he could forgive them for concealing Qing Yun Ge’s identity. No matter what, Qing Yun Ge was a member of his Shen family.
“Qing Yun Ge, come here. This is my meeting gift to you.” Shen Yang took out a plain jade box and handed it over. Qing Yun Ge couldn’t help but look at Xu Qingchen, and only after seeing him nod did she go over to accept the box from Shen Yang’s hands, which made Shen Yang’s face darken again.
Qing Yun Ge curiously opened the box to find a complete set of silver needles neatly arranged inside. Qing Yun Ge’s face brightened, and after hesitating, she said, “Is this… is this the Lotus Needles father mentioned?”
Shen Yang nodded and smiled, “That’s right, these are the Lotus Needles. I have no use for them now, and since you also study medicine, I’ll give them to you.” These Lotus Needles might seem like just silver needles to ordinary people, but to medical practitioners, they were invaluable treasures. Qing Yun Ge was naturally overjoyed, but amid her happiness, she felt uneasy, “This… Qing Yun Ge cannot accept them.”
Shen Yang raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why can’t you accept them?”
Qing Yun Ge bit her lip and said, “Father said the Lotus Needles are difficult to forge, and there’s only this one set left in the world. Qing Yun Ge cannot accept such a precious gift from Master Shen.”
Shen Yang looked at Qing Yun Ge and smiled thoughtfully, “Little Qing Yun Ge, I hear your medical skills are quite good.”
Qing Yun Ge’s face reddened slightly, “Qing Yun Ge’s medical skills haven’t improved for a long time.”
“Would you like me to guide you?” Shen Yang smiled.
Shen Yang had spoken so clearly that Qing Yun Ge couldn’t help but understand, and she asked joyfully, “Is Master Shen willing to take Qing Yun Ge as a disciple?”
Shen Yang shook his head, and seeing Qing Yun Ge’s disappointed dimming eyes, he smiled and said, “My surname is Shen, and yours is also Shen. I am getting old now and have no children. Would you be willing to accept me as your adoptive father?”
“Adoptive father?” Qing Yun Ge was stunned.
But Shen Yang took her surprise as agreement and smiled with satisfaction, “Good child, this is a gift from your adoptive father, keep it well.” He placed the jade box containing the silver needles in Qing Yun Ge’s hands.
“Ah?” Qing Yun Ge was confused—had she agreed?
“Master Shen isn’t this…” Madam Xu frowned and spoke up. Qing Yun Ge didn’t know, but they knew about Shen Yang’s relationship with Qing Yun Ge—by generational order, Shen Yang was already Qing Yun Ge’s grand-uncle, how could he take her as an adopted daughter?
Xu Qingchen lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and smiled, “Qing Yun Ge, you study medicine, and it’s fortunate that you share the same surname as Master Shen. Would you like to become Master Shen’s adopted daughter?”
Qing Yun Ge looked up at Shen Yang, who was looking at her with fatherly affection, and said softly, “If I accept Master Shen as my adoptive father, will he love Qing Yun Ge as my father did?”
Shen Yang nodded and smiled, “Of course, I will teach you everything I know. And there’s Wuyou—although she’s two months younger than you, she entered as a disciple first… you can call each other whatever you like. You’re of similar age, so you can study together, play together, and keep each other company.”
“Senior Sister Wuyou.”
“Sister Qing Yun Ge.”
Qing Yun Ge and Wuyou spoke simultaneously, and both couldn’t help but laugh as their voices overlapped.
“Adoptive Father!” Qing Yun Ge called out.
“Good child.” Shen Yang’s eyes reddened as he nodded at Qing Yun Ge. He had never married and had no children, and his nephew, in whom he had placed great hopes, had gone far away for his wife’s sake. Now Qing Yun Ge was the only bloodline left of the Shen family.
“Congratulations to Master Shen for gaining such an obedient daughter,” Madam Xu smiled, although the confusion of generational order gave her a headache. But since Shen Yang didn’t mind and her son agreed, she had no objections. The matter of Qing Yun Ge’s parents was unrelated to Qing Yun Ge anyway, and Shen Yang’s unwillingness to mention it was also for Qing Yun Ge’s benefit.
Shen Yang nodded, glanced at Xu Qingchen, and said calmly, “Thank you, Madam Xu. In that case… I have something to discuss with Madam Xu.”
Madam Xu was startled but smiled, “Please speak freely, Master Shen, don’t stand on ceremony.”
Shen Yang said, “Now that Qing Yun Ge has accepted me as her adoptive father, she is a daughter of the Shen family. In the next few days, I will take Qing Yun Ge back to my residence. Thank you for taking care of her during this time.” Although Shen Yang often stayed at Prince Ding’s mansion, he also had a separate residence in Li City.
Hearing Shen Yang’s words, Madam Xu was only stunned for a moment, but Xu Qingchen, sitting below, immediately showed an uncomfortable expression.