The old lady’s eyes lit up.

“Never mind a few conditions—even dozens, we’ll agree to them all.”

Xie Erli sat down before the old lady with a bitter smile.

“She says she doesn’t need the titles of legitimate young miss or cousin miss. She just wants to be known as a distant relative staying temporarily.”

“How can that work? How can we let that girl suffer such injustice? Besides, what good family could a distant relative marry into?”

The old lady shook her head repeatedly. “No, absolutely not.”

Just moments ago she said they’d agree to everything, and already the first condition wasn’t acceptable?

Xie Erli’s bitter smile deepened.

“The second condition: her marriage will be decided by herself.”

“Even more impossible, even more impossible!”

The old lady’s eyes reddened with urgency.

“She’s just a young girl—what does she know about good or bad, what does she understand of human nature? What if someone deceives her? How could I face her grandfather?”

“Is there a third condition?” The spineless Third Master Xie suddenly interjected.

“Yes!”

Xie Erli continued: “She doesn’t want the Xie family’s dowry. If the Xie family gives her a quiet courtyard, doesn’t restrict her freedom, doesn’t interfere with her comings and goings, she’s willing to stay in the Xie family.”

The old lady: “This, this, this…”

Third Master Xie’s eyes, which had been too drowsy to open, suddenly snapped wide at these words.

After a moment of silence, he leaped to his feet.

“Old Ancestor, I need to step out for a moment.”

“Miss Yan’s matter hasn’t been discussed yet.”

“What’s there to discuss? If you want her to stay, you can only agree first. Besides that, there’s no other good solution.”

With that, he walked out of Sien Hall without looking back.

Outside the courtyard, Zhu Qing saw his master hurrying out and quickly approached.

“Master?”

“Prepare a horse.”

“Master just returned from the ministry. Where are you going now?”

“The Imperial Medical Bureau.”

Zhu Qing frowned.

Why go to the Imperial Medical Bureau for no reason?

…

The sky gradually darkened.

Lanterns were lit at the gate of the Imperial Medical Bureau. When the wind blew, they swayed precariously.

Imperial Physician Pei walked out through the main gate. Just as he descended a few steps, his eyes brightened.

“Chengyu, what brings you here?”

Third Master Xie stepped forward, his peach-blossom eyes lifting in an obedient smile. “Uncle Pei, I came to find you.”

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“No discomfort—I just missed you and came to see you.”

Look at that sweet mouth!

Imperial Physician Pei had watched Third Master Xie grow up since childhood. Compared to his own son who never had a kind word to say—that little beast—the young man before him was simply an angel on earth.

“Uncle Pei, shall we two have a drink?”

Pei Yu had been busy at the Imperial Medical Bureau all day and was in the mood for some wine to unwind.

“Let me make it clear first—your Uncle Pei is treating.”

“Whoever treats is the same.”

Xie Zhifei hooked his arm around Pei Yu’s shoulder. “The key is that the wine must be Bamboo Leaf Green. My Uncle Pei drinking Bamboo Leaf Green—now that has flavor.”

He even remembers so clearly what I drink—what a good child!

The good child, Third Master Xie, requested a private room at Spring Breeze Tower. Six dishes, half a catty of Bamboo Leaf Green, and first he downed three cups with his Uncle Pei.

After three cups, Imperial Physician Pei’s brow relaxed and his eyes narrowed. Third Master Xie suddenly spoke up.

“Uncle, let me ask you something. That day when you examined my family’s relative, why did you shake your head furtively several times?”

Imperial Physician Pei pointed at him.

“You sharp-eyed little rascal.”

“Uncle Pei, whenever you come to my house, my eyes are always watching you.”

“You weren’t watching me—eighty percent of the time you were watching that beautiful relative of yours.”

“You actually guessed right.”

Xie Zhifei lowered his voice as much as possible. “I just feel there’s something strange about that girl.”

“You noticed it too?”

Imperial Physician Pei instinctively looked left and right, then leaned his head closer.

“Let me tell you, I started studying medicine at five, began taking pulses at seven, and this is the first time I’ve encountered a pulse like hers.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart jumped violently. “Quick, tell me—what was her pulse like?”

Imperial Physician Pei shook his head. “I can’t say.”

“Uncle, what do you mean you can’t say?”

“I mean I couldn’t diagnose it!”

“What?”

Third Master Xie was dumbstruck. “Say that again?”

Imperial Physician Pei: “…”

“Uncle, please speak! What do you mean you couldn’t diagnose it?”

“I mean I felt a pulse beating, beating quite normally, but I just couldn’t diagnose what kind of pulse it was.”

Imperial Physician Pei gulped down some wine and began a medical education.

“You grew up in medicine jars from childhood, so you understand some of this. There are twenty-eight types of pulses in the world, eighteen of which are common: floating, surging, soggy, sunken, hidden, wiry, slow, choppy, intermittent…”

Xie Zhifei had no interest in hearing him ramble and quickly interrupted: “Could it be that she doesn’t match any of them?”

Imperial Physician Pei nodded.

“Then how did you write her prescription?”

“I…”

Imperial Physician Pei felt somewhat embarrassed.

“I saw that her wrist was ice-cold, so I guessed she’d probably caught a chill and wrote a prescription to dispel wind and cold.”

Should I call you a quack doctor—would you dare answer?

“By the way, that girl’s body temperature was also abnormal.”

Imperial Physician Pei shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“It’s lower than us normal people. How to describe it—just ice-cold.”

Xie Zhifei shuddered violently, thinking about how this girl wore only a single layer of clothing in the freezing cold. Goosebumps rose all over his body.

“However, the world is vast and full of wonders. It’s also possible I’m just ignorant.”

Imperial Physician Pei’s tone suddenly shifted. “By the way, what kind of relative is that girl to your family?”

How could I let you know that!

Xie Zhifei quickly smiled, feigning nonchalance. “She’s from the old lady’s side. I don’t really understand it either. Uncle, take my pulse—I’ve been feeling flustered lately.”

“I knew you inviting me to drink must mean something. Come, extend your hand.”

As Xie Zhifei extended his hand, he exchanged a glance with Zhu Qing, who stepped out of the private room and called over the waiter to settle the account.

After eating and drinking their fill, Imperial Physician Pei was already slightly tipsy when boarding the carriage.

Xie Zhifei watched the carriage depart, then coughed once.

Zhu Qing quickly asked in a low voice: “Master, what is it?”

Xie Zhifei: “Send someone to Yunnan Prefecture.”

Zhu Qing’s expression changed: “Master, are you thinking…”

Xie Zhifei hummed in acknowledgment, saying quite calmly: “This person is far too interesting—interesting enough that I must investigate her!”

Zhu Qing didn’t recover for a long while. “Master, what’s so interesting about her?”

“Everything is interesting!”

A man not fearing cold could still be explained, but a woman not fearing cold—what is her body made of?

At such a young age, every word and action is mature like an adult.

His own younger sister is only a year younger than her, but understands nothing—only cares about pretty clothes, the latest jewelry, and marrying into a prestigious family.

Yan’s grandfather was exiled to Yunnan Prefecture, with bare walls and nothing—as his granddaughter, where did she get so many banknotes in her bundle?

Listening to those conditions, she fundamentally doesn’t want to stay in the Xie family?

If she doesn’t want to, with her cold temperament, she could just directly refuse and no one could do anything about it. So why still agree to stay?

What meaning is there in staying like this?

Truly a mysterious person!

Xie Zhifei patted Zhu Qing’s shoulder, revealing a meaningful smile.

“Send two careful and reliable people.”

“Yes!”