If she could help it, Ling Jingshu had no wish at all to bring up the Lu brothers, much less to recall everything that had happened within the Lu family.

But with Imperial Physician Wei inquiring about her condition so earnestly and seriously, she had no way to brush it off.

Ling Jingshu fell silent for a moment, then raised her head, her eyes having regained their calm composure. “Imperial Physician Wei, can you truly cure my illness?”

Imperial Physician Wei answered calmly, “I have never encountered such a condition before, so I dare not say for certain that I can cure it. However, looking across the entire Imperial Medical Bureau, if I cannot cure your illness, then no one else could either.”

Beneath his composed tone lay an unmistakable confidence. He paused, then added, “However, if Miss Ling wishes to have such a strange ailment cured, you must explain the full course of events leading to this illness, clearly and completely, without holding back even the slightest detail.”

Ling Jingshu took a deep breath and finally made up her mind. “Very well, I will tell you everything now. These matters are my greatest secret. Regardless of whether my illness can be cured in the future, I ask that Imperial Physician Wei keep this strictly confidential and not reveal a single word to anyone.”

“That goes without saying.”

Imperial Physician Wei nodded readily and decisively. “This is the most basic ethic of being a physician. Miss Ling needn’t worry.”

Those two brief sentences carried an oddly convincing weight.

Ling Jingshu no longer hesitated, and in a low voice began recounting what had happened on that day.

She could not breathe a single word of everything that had happened in her past life, and naturally couldn’t mention Lu An’s name either. Ling Jingshu only spoke of how the brothers Lu Hong and Lu Qian had fallen for her. “…My cousin from the Lu family secretly harbored feelings for me. I didn’t feel the same way and always avoided him. One day, somehow, he came to my chambers and said some nonsensical things to me. After I firmly refused him, he grew angry and humiliated, and in his urgency grabbed my hand. At the time I felt my whole body grow unbearable, and out of nausea, I vomited. After that, he left in a flustered state.”

“That was the first time, and I simply assumed it was a coincidence and didn’t think much of it. I never expected that, a few days later, my aunt would privately propose a marriage on behalf of my cousin Lu Qian. When I heard this, I was utterly shocked. Cousin Lu Qian is two years younger than me—I’ve always regarded him like a true younger brother. I never once thought of marrying him.”

“Cousin Lu Qian also came to find me privately and confessed his feelings to me. Shocked, I refused him sharply. And then…”

At this point, Ling Jingshu forced out an unsightly smile, her voice dropping lower. “What happened after that, you can probably guess. In his urgency, he leaned close to me, and the moment he touched my hand, my whole body immediately felt wretched, and I vomited again.”

“Once might be coincidence, but twice surely couldn’t be. As an unmarried young lady afflicted with such a strange illness, my heart was filled with the deepest unease, unable to find peace day or night. I quietly told my grandmother and father about this, and with their consent, came to the capital together with A’Xiao—both to seek treatment for A’Xiao’s eye ailment, and secretly hoping to find a renowned physician who could cure my own strange illness.”

“It’s only that this condition is truly too shameful to speak of. Several times I wanted to ask you for treatment, but I could never bring myself to say it. I never expected that, after all this roundabout struggle, you would notice it on your own today. There’s no longer any need for me to keep hiding it.”

Ling Jingshu’s eyes reddened, her expression embarrassed, yet also showing a sense of relief.

A delicate young woman, carrying such a secret and such an affliction—no wonder she had always been so guarded, harboring wariness toward every man.

And yet…

Was the matter truly as simple as what Ling Jingshu had described?

Imperial Physician Wei gazed at Ling Jingshu and said slowly, “Miss Ling, with such fine looks and clever charm, it’s only natural that young men would fall for you. From what you’ve told me, both Lu brothers were deeply devoted to you. That you felt nothing for either of them and were unwilling to grow close to them is only reasonable.”

“However, I have never heard of such a strange ailment where being touched causes vomiting. Miss Ling, surely you aren’t still hiding something?”

This Imperial Physician Wei was downright frighteningly perceptive!

Ling Jingshu’s heart skipped a beat, yet her face showed a mix of shame and indignation as she glared back at him. “What does Imperial Physician Wei mean by saying this? I’ve already told you my secret in full detail, without hiding a single word. Why does Imperial Physician Wei not believe me?”

Was this genuine anger born of shame, or a preemptive strike to put him on the defensive?

A flicker passed through Imperial Physician Wei’s eyes, though his expression remained unchanged. “Whatever the illness may be, as a physician, I must prescribe according to the true cause. If you hide the real source of your affliction, then even if I were Hua Tuo or Bian Que reborn, I still couldn’t cure your condition. My getting to the bottom of things is also out of responsibility for your illness.”

Almost immediately, Ling Jingshu’s expression shifted to one of shame, and she reproached herself softly. “I misunderstood. I hope Imperial Physician Wei won’t take offense. I’ve already told you the full account of what happened just now—there’s truly nothing being hidden.”

Ling Jingshu’s expression shifted swiftly, and her response was flawless.

But this very perfection in her response was, in itself, quite suspicious.

Imperial Physician Wei frowned, confirming the suspicion in his mind. What she had said was probably true as far as it went, but she had certainly not revealed every secret.

She must be hiding something!

The fact she was struggling so hard to conceal was likely the true cause of her strange illness!

What exactly was she hiding?

Imperial Physician Wei’s thoughts raced, and he quickly came to a decision.

Today, she had already exhausted her vitality falling into the water to save Anya, and had still had to spend so much effort maneuvering around him—she had endured enough hardship already. Since he had decided to treat her illness, there would be plenty of time later to get to the bottom of things. For now, he would let her off this once.

Besides, the two of them had already been alone together for quite a while now, and Madam Jiang and the others outside must surely be growing anxious waiting.

“As for your condition, let me go back and study it for a few days first. Once I’ve worked out a treatment method, I’ll come back to treat you properly.”

She had finally managed to get through this.

Ling Jingshu felt a wave of relief and said gratefully, “Thank you for your trouble, Imperial Physician Wei. You must treat A’Xiao’s eye ailment and also cure my illness. My brother and I have received such great kindness from you—I truly don’t know how we could ever repay it.”

Imperial Physician Wei smiled faintly and replied, “I am devoted to the art of medicine, and encountering such a never-before-seen ailment is, in fact, a delight to me—like a hunter spotting prey. If I can truly cure your condition, it will greatly benefit my medical skill as well. Since this brings benefit to both of us, there’s no need for such formal courtesy.”

Then, he took a writing brush from his medicine case and quickly wrote out a prescription.

“You’ve had a fright today from falling into the water—once you’re back home, you need half a month of bed rest. Here is a prescription to calm your nerves and dispel the chill. Have someone fill it according to the formula, and take it three times a day. Half a month of this will suffice.”

With that, Imperial Physician Wei set the prescription down on the table beside them.

From this small detail alone, one could see just how thoughtful and considerate Imperial Physician Wei was.

Had he handed the prescription directly to Ling Jingshu, no matter how careful they were, their fingers would inevitably have touched.

Ling Jingshu’s heartstrings trembled slightly, and she hurriedly voiced her thanks.

Their eyes met, and both felt a subtle unease, quickly looking away from one another.