“From now on, unless there’s a special reason, Xiao Yingtao, Xing Zizhou, and Leng Xuepiao, the rest of you will be in charge of developing the antidote,” Feng Jiu’er said.

“Mm.” Xiao Yingtao, chopsticks in hand, nodded.

Sitting across from Feng Jiu’er, Leng Xuepiao gave a small nod as well.

Leng Xuepiao lived up to her name — a cold, aloof person.

Often, once she sat down at the research table, she could stay there for two or three days straight.

She was utterly devoted to medicine; one could say medicine was her entire life.

Leng Xuepiao was twenty years old in her prime, yet as composed as a woman well past forty — though in truth she didn’t look mature at all.

She had a small, petite frame, even shorter than Feng Jiu’er or Xiao Yingtao, a round little face, and a dimple that made her quite adorable.

Anyone who didn’t know her, seeing her for the first time, would surely assume she was a lively, cheerful little doll of a girl.

At the very least, that was exactly what Feng Jiu’er had thought when she first met her.

And yet, Leng Xuepiao had proven, through plain fact, that she had nothing whatsoever to do with words like “cute” or “lively.”

She was deeply reserved, quiet, and detached — if you didn’t speak to her first, she could go an entire day without saying a single word.

Leng Xuepiao was, without question, a dull and quiet person, yet her results were beyond anyone’s expectations.

Within Tianji Hall, when it came to medicine-making, Leng Xuepiao was the undisputed top hand — recognized by everyone as such.

For her to be willing to sit with everyone over hotpot like this today was genuinely unusual.

Leng Xuepiao merely glanced at Feng Jiu’er once, then lowered her head and reached her chopsticks toward the pot.

But just as her chopsticks touched a piece of meat, that piece was snatched away by someone else with lightning speed.

When Leng Xuepiao turned her head, the piece of meat she’d had her eye on had already landed in someone else’s mouth.

Yu Jingfeng closed his mouth over the bite of meat, blinked, and the corner of his mouth lifted into an apologetic smile.

“You… did you want that? Sorry! That was a bit rude of me.”

Leng Xuepiao indifferently withdrew her gaze and paid Yu Jingfeng no further attention.

Feeling rather bad about it, Yu Jingfeng swallowed the meat in his mouth and bit his own lip once, as a kind of punishment.

Had he turned into some kind of greedy ghost? Fighting over food with a pretty young woman?

The little beauty looked so sweet and adorable that Yu Jingfeng worried his rude behavior just now might have given her some kind of shock.

He glanced sideways at Leng Xuepiao, and once he confirmed she hadn’t been frightened into tears, an idea came to him.

“It’s fine, here—”

Just as Yu Jingfeng’s hand, distracted, reached out again, he immediately wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

He had once again grabbed the very piece of meat the little beauty had her eye on — had even already taken hold of it, no less.

“Ahem…”

Yu Jingfeng coughed lightly, meaning to withdraw his chopsticks, but the little beauty was faster than him.

Leng Xuepiao ignored Yu Jingfeng and picked up another piece of meat instead.

Flustered, Yu Jingfeng quickly snatched up the piece he was still holding onto and turned, meaning to put it into the little beauty’s bowl.

But because he moved too hastily, as he turned with the meat on his chopsticks, it flew off and landed right down the collar of Leng Xuepiao’s robe.

“Ah—!” Leng Xuepiao cried out in pain.

Even through a layer of inner garment, the broth-soaked meat still burned her.

Yu Jingfeng’s eyes went wide, and without thinking, his large hand shot out and followed the meat right in.

He never found the meat — what his hand found instead was something soft and warm, and only belatedly did Yu Jingfeng register what had happened.

A loud crack rang out, echoing through the entire chamber.

Everyone stood up at once, staring at the scene.

Yu Jingfeng leaned in close to Leng Xuepiao, one hand pressed to his cheek, the other still tucked inside the front of her robe.

He turned his head toward Feng Jiu’er, his eyes full of innocence.

Crack! — the sound of another slap landing on his face rang out, reaching everyone’s ears.

The pain brought tears to the rims of Yu Jingfeng’s eyes, and only then did he belatedly pull his hand back out from inside the woman’s robe.

“S-sorry! I apologize! I wasn’t… that piece of meat, did— did it burn you?”

“I didn’t mean to, I really didn’t… ah, I’m sorry! I really didn’t mean it.”

Before Yu Jingfeng finished speaking, Leng Xuepiao dropped her chopsticks, stood up, turned, and walked away.

Yu Jingfeng abruptly stood as well, chasing after her several steps before stopping.

He turned back, casting a pleading look toward Feng Jiu’er.

At that moment, whether from pain or anxiety, Yu Jingfeng’s eyes had gone a little damp.

He pursed his lips, looking thoroughly wronged.

“Miss Jiu’er, I really didn’t mean to — that piece of meat just slipped, by accident, into her clothes.”

“I was worried it would burn her, so I reached in to help…”

“Miss Jiu’er, I swear, I didn’t touch anything at all.” Yu Jingfeng let out a breath, looking as deflated as a shriveled persimmon.

“I really didn’t mean it — you all have to believe me, I had no improper intentions.”

Saying he hadn’t touched anything was a lie — he had. So if anyone made Yu Jingfeng swear an oath on it, he’d surely give himself away at once.

After all — he didn’t dare!

Yu Jingfeng wanted nothing more than to slap himself twice. How could he have been so careless? Had he never eaten meat before in his life?

But his face was already burning with pain, so he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.

Watching the mighty Commander Yu look as though he were about to cry, Feng Jiu’er had to fight hard not to laugh.

“This kind of thing, you should explain to Xuepiao. Telling us is no use.”

Feng Jiu’er gave Yu Jingfeng a kindly smile and sat back down.

Seeing this, everyone else followed suit and sat back down as well.

“Miss Jiu’er, I…” Yu Jingfeng licked his teeth, looking pained, and opened his mouth.

“Miss Jiu’er, my tooth’s come loose.”

The man reached into his mouth and pulled out something stained with blood, his face crumpling.

“This is terrible, my tooth’s actually come out — what am I supposed to do now?”

“Miss Jiu’er, I think I’ve got a few more that are loose too — what do I do?”

He really didn’t want to lose his teeth. Without teeth, how was he supposed to eat meat anymore?

“Pfft!” Xiao Yingtao finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

In an instant, everyone was clutching their stomachs, roaring with laughter — everyone except Yu Jingfeng, who pitifully clutched his own tooth, his face full of worry.

Feng Jiu’er lifted her eyes and gave a pointed cough.

Heeding her warning, everyone reined it in somewhat, but the laughter in the hall still didn’t quite stop.

“Yu Jingfeng, you had that coming!” Xiao Yingtao piled on, kicking him while he was down. “Did you think every woman is just there for you to grope as you please?”

“Xiao Yingtao’s right — and Xuepiao went easy on you with those two slaps,” one of the physicians said.

“Exactly. With Xuepiao’s temper, she’s not someone just anyone can mess with,” another physician nodded along.

“Yu Jingfeng, did you think Xuepiao, being so short, would be easy to push around?” Xing Zizhou said, shaking his head with a smile.

“Her temper is sharp as a whip — nothing like my gentle little Xiao Yingtao.”

Even as he teased, Xing Zizhou couldn’t resist complimenting his own little sweetheart.

“Get lost!” Xiao Yingtao glared at Xing Zizhou. “Who said I’m your little Xiao Yingtao?”

“Have you no shame?”