The pharmacy opened its doors, and customers crowded in.

Yesterday had been the day of the promotional event, so foot traffic had already been high — but today, it looked even busier.

Feng Jiu’er was still sitting behind her screen as usual. Unlike yesterday, today she had also begun offering consultation services.

Her registration fee was ten times higher than other physicians’, yet there were still plenty of people who came for no apparent reason and registered for her services.

Feng Jiu’er heard quite a few people say they’d been recommended by the Tang Family’s old madam, and she finally figured out what was going on.

No matter how fragrant wine might be, its aroma couldn’t possibly drift that far — and besides, what they’d bought wasn’t wine, and had no scent at all.

After she lost count of how many patients had come and gone, it finally grew quiet behind Feng Jiu’er’s screen.

Xiao Yingtao hurriedly put away the good stuff and took a sip of water.

“Jiu’er, it’s a good thing we didn’t turn down the meal invitation at the Tang residence yesterday. Turns out the old madam has so many clients.”

“You heard it yourself just now — most of the patients said they were referred by the Tang Family’s old madam.”

“You really are something — one house call, one shared meal, and you’re already famous across all of Yue City. Impressive!”

Xiao Yingtao looked at Feng Jiu’er with a faint smile, her eyes full of admiration and pride.

“Jiu’er’s medical skill was already excellent to begin with.” Qiao Mu came out from the back hall and settled into a chair. “Still, being your assistant is exhausting!”

“Who are you? You can’t go in there!” Suddenly, a brother’s voice rang out from outside.

Qiao Mu rose abruptly. She glanced at Feng Jiu’er, frowned slightly, and strode toward the door.

But before she got there, the intruder had already barged in.

A man shoved past the brother guarding the front of Feng Jiu’er’s screen and appeared before Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu glared at him, showing no intention of stepping aside.

“I’m looking for someone with the surname Long.” The man, aware that Qiao Mu’s martial skill was no small thing, stopped in his tracks.

“Who are you? What do you want with Physician Long?” Qiao Mu asked in a low voice.

Outside, many townspeople stood watching, all eyes fixed on this spot.

“Move aside!” the man snapped coldly, shoving forward at Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu sidestepped, dodging his grasp, and in the blink of an eye drew a short blade, pressing it against the man’s throat.

“This is Long Ying — not a place for you to act wild. If you know what’s good for you, get out.”

The man’s eyes widened as he stared at Qiao Mu, but there wasn’t a trace of panic in them.

A gust of fierce wind swept in from behind the man; he reacted at once, spinning to face it.

“Jian Yi, don’t hurt him!” The words had barely left her mouth when Feng Jiu’er appeared in front of the screen.

Jian Yi, who had come from somewhere outside without anyone noticing, withdrew his palm strike and landed a short distance behind the man.

The man looked at Jian Yi and drew a sharp, furious breath.

“Is this how you treat guests? I am Young Master Yue. Do you all not wish to remain in Yue City any longer?”

The man’s simmering anger vanished the instant he turned and laid eyes on Feng Jiu’er.

Today, Feng Jiu’er wore a snow-white dress, its lace-trimmed collar wrapped around her neck.

Aside from the collar, the cuffs, and the hem that nearly swept the ground — all trimmed with delicate gold lace — the rest of the dress was pure white.

Her flawless features, set against this distinctive outfit, appeared even more exquisite.

Her jet-black hair, stirred by the gust from Jian Yi’s earlier strike, lifted to reveal her delicate, heart-shaped face to everyone present.

Her slender figure, snow-white skin, and exquisite face made it impossible to look away once — and impossible to forget for a lifetime, once seen.

[Translator’s note: the line of garbled text in the original — “⒏вｏOК.cом” — appears to be an unrelated watermark/advertisement artifact from the source file and has been omitted, as it is not part of the narrative.]

This particular dress had been designed by Feng Jiu’er herself. She’d liked it enough to have several made — not just for herself, but Xiao Yingtao had a few sets too.

Qiao Mu wasn’t fond of overly playful clothing and had been talked into having one made, though she’d never worn it.

Feng Jiu’er liked this dress — it was simple, comfortable, and good-looking, so she’d worn it out today.

On the way over, Xiao Yingtao had teased that Feng Jiu’er would surely turn heads today.

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t given it much thought; she was a physician, and her usual clothes weren’t practical for work, so she’d simply changed into something else.

Young Master Yue stared at Feng Jiu’er without blinking, a glimmer in his eyes.

Feng Jiu’er glanced at this man who called himself Young Master Yue, and the corner of her mouth curved up slightly.

She had no idea that her faint smile alone had left the Yue family’s eldest son even more infatuated.

“I am Physician Long. How may I help you?” Feng Jiu’er asked softly, a faint smile on her lips.

Young Master Yue cleared his throat lightly and blinked, the young master’s airs finally easing somewhat.

“You — you’re Physician Long?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“That’s right.” Feng Jiu’er nodded politely. “This is a place for consultations. If you wish to be examined, please go outside and wait in line.”

With that, as Feng Jiu’er withdrew her gaze, she didn’t forget to glance at Qiao Mu.

Her eyes merely swept past Qiao Mu before she turned and walked back inside.

Qiao Mu understood at once and turned to the man before her.

“This way, please!” She gestured with her hand. “This is a pharmacy as well as a clinic. Whether you’re here to see a doctor or buy medicine, sir, you’ll need to wait in line.”

“Of course, if you’d like our Physician Long to make a house call, that’s also possible.”

“A house call requires a deposit of three hundred taels of silver paid in advance. Once the deposit is paid, there’s no need to wait.”

“However, the labor fee for house calls is quite high — calculated at one hundred taels of silver per hour, with other expenses billed separately. How does that sound? Would you like our Physician Long to make a house call?”

“Yes.” Young Master Yue nodded without even a moment’s thought.

He didn’t look at Qiao Mu, and after speaking, started forward again.

But Qiao Mu wasn’t about to let him have his way and blocked his path once more.

“Sir, please! Kindly go pay the deposit first. My Physician Long still has two more appointments — once she finishes with these two scheduled patients, she’ll go on the house call with you.”

“Xiao Liu.” Qiao Mu glanced outside. “Take this gentleman to pay the fee.”

“Got it.” The brother named Xiao Liu appeared behind Young Master Yue in an instant. “This way, sir, please!”

Young Master Yue glared at the screen, let out a hard breath, and turned to leave with a touch of anger.

Qiao Mu watched his retreating back and raised an eyebrow.

Jian Yi strode into the area behind the screen; by the time Qiao Mu turned around, he was already out of sight.

“Jiu’er, yesterday’s house call deposit was only a hundred taels, and today it’s already three hundred — impressive! A hundred taels of silver per hour — that’s more than we make in—”

“Ahem… how is it that earning money becomes so simple the moment it involves our Jiu’er?” Xiao Yingtao said excitedly.

Jian Yi came to stand before Feng Jiu’er, arms crossed around his sword, looking at her.

Feng Jiu’er raised her eyes to meet his and frowned slightly. “Jian Yi, what’s wrong?”

“We’re running a business here. It really isn’t appropriate to resort to force so readily, is it?”

Jian Yi frowned, then turned his back to Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er watched his back, feeling a touch of helplessness, yet also a quiet warmth.

“Jian Yi, go get ready. Come with me on the house call later — with you there, I’m at ease.”