Physician Wang performed a deep bow: “Miss, rest assured, this is what this old one should do.”

Physician Li was startled, completely unable to understand why Physician Wang was being so respectful toward Luo Sheng. However, he was currently immersed in fanatical worship of Physician Wang for developing such a miraculous fever-reducing prescription, so he followed suit with a deep bow.

The Grand Madam and others: “…”

These physicians hadn’t shown such respectful attitudes on ordinary days.

Medical practitioners, especially those with some reputation, always carried a certain pride. Their respectfulness when facing prominent families wasn’t like this—this seemed to come from the heart.

While everyone was shocked, Luo Sheng had already left with Hong Dou.

The Grand Madam instructed Shuangye to go report to Old Madam Sheng that Luo Chen’s fever had broken so the old madam could set her mind at ease, then said to the Sheng brothers: “You should all return. Don’t disturb your cousin’s recuperation.”

“Yes.”

As the Sheng brothers walked out of the courtyard, they caught sight of Luo Sheng and her servant walking unhurriedly ahead, their feelings complex for a moment.

Sheng Jiayu lifted her skirt and hurried after them: “Wait!”

Luo Sheng stopped and turned around.

Sheng Jiayu gazed at the red-skirted young lady with her calm eyes and brows, wanting to speak but hesitating.

In this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Was this still the same Luo Sheng she knew?

Perhaps… she had never truly understood this cousin sister who had just come from the capital.

“Why did Cousin call me?” Luo Sheng asked calmly.

It wasn’t that Luo Sheng hadn’t noticed Sheng Jiayu’s subtle change, but she didn’t care.

To her, whether it was Sheng Jialan or Sheng Jiayu made little difference—one would jump up to harm people and get swatted down, while the other engaged in minor squabbles not worth bothering with.

If minor squabbles turned into actual harm, she likewise wouldn’t mind casually swatting her down.

As for any deeper emotions—there were none.

Thinking this, Luo Sheng glanced distantly at Luo Chen’s courtyard gate.

To Jinsha she was merely a passerby. The only one requiring her care and concern was Luo Chen.

This was what she owed Miss Luo.

“That medicine—” Sheng Jiayu began, momentarily forgetting what she wanted to ask.

“It can reduce fever.” Luo Sheng explained concisely in one sentence and brushed past Sheng Jiayu.

Sheng Jiayu stood dazed for a moment before stamping her foot and saying quietly: “That’s not what I was asking about!”

“Elder Sister, what’s wrong?” Sheng Dalang, who had caught up, asked gently.

“It’s nothing. I’m returning to my room first.”

After Sheng Jiayu had walked several zhang away, she heard Sheng Silang muttering quietly behind her: “Why does it feel like whenever Elder Sister encounters Cousin Sister, she especially loves losing her temper?”

Sheng Jiayu’s entire body stiffened. She very much wanted to rush back and pinch her younger brother’s face, but thinking of this assessment, she silently swallowed her anger and hurried away.

Having just returned to her courtyard, someone from the Grand Madam’s side came to request Sheng Jiayu’s presence.

“Mother, you called for me?”

Between mother and daughter there was no need for formalities. The Grand Madam only kept Shuangye to attend inside the room and asked Sheng Jiayu directly: “Jiayu, did you personally witness your cousin sister purchasing medicine from Jishi Hall yesterday?”

“Your daughter truly saw it with her own eyes.” Sheng Jiayu was already feeling displeased about Sheng Silang’s words, and hearing her mother question her made her even more anxious.

The Grand Madam patted Sheng Jiayu reassuringly: “Mother doesn’t disbelieve you, it’s just that some things don’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense to you?”

“Did Physician Wang give her that prescription?”

Sheng Jiayu answered without thinking: “It must be so—didn’t she personally admit the pills were prepared by Physician Wang?”

The Grand Madam picked up the tea cup from the side table, her fingers lightly rubbing the cup’s surface: “If Physician Wang developed such miraculous medicine, why have we never heard of it before?”

Such miraculous medicine would be enough to make a physician famous throughout the medical world and save countless patients. Physician Wang had no reason to keep it hidden and unused.

“Perhaps, perhaps it was just recently developed… Cousin is fortunate to have caught it at the right time.”

The Grand Madam shook her head: “Even if it were such a coincidence, Physician Wang practices at Chunxing Hall—why go to Jishi Hall to procure medicine? And why have your cousin sister procure it?”

Sheng Jiayu was stumped by the question.

She remembered now—when she had instinctively called out to Luo Sheng earlier, it was actually because she felt something was off here!

After thinking it over, Sheng Jiayu voiced her speculation: “Mother, could it be… that the prescription originally belonged to Luo Sheng…”

The Grand Madam looked deeply at her daughter and nodded: “Nine times out of ten, that’s the case. Jiayu, your cousin sister is the Grand Commander’s daughter and has seen much of the world. I’m afraid she possesses many items that seem unremarkable to her but would be priceless treasures in others’ eyes. In the future, don’t rashly underestimate her, lest you lose face yourself.”

Sheng Jiayu lowered her eyes and nodded: “Mother, I understand.”

Luo Sheng returned to her courtyard and instructed Hong Dou to direct Qinghong and Hancui in cleaning out the small kitchen before beginning to prepare porridge.

She placed glutinous rice and fresh ginger in an earthen pot to simmer together. After the water reached a rolling boil twice, she added scallion whites with roots intact, and when the rice had broken down, she added vinegar.

A peculiar aroma wafted out.

Hong Dou watched Luo Sheng personally prepare the porridge, feeling somewhat panicked: “Miss, are you making porridge?”

Was she really not preparing poison?

“Mm.”

With the strange smell lingering at her nose, Hong Dou drew in a sharp breath: “Is it edible?”

Luo Sheng glanced at her and said lightly: “I’m making it for my younger brother.”

Hong Dou clutched her chest in relief.

Thank heavens the miss still had a younger brother!

Thinking of Luo Chen lying on his sickbed, the little maid felt somewhat sympathetic: “Miss, you’re putting both ginger and scallions in the porridge, and adding vinegar too—won’t the taste be rather unpleasant—”

Luo Sheng frowned.

“Adding vinegar” sounded a bit strange…

Thinking this, she still explained warmly: “The taste isn’t very good, but this porridge has the effect of inducing perspiration and expelling cold—it’s just right for him.”

As master and servant conversed, the porridge finished cooking.

Luo Sheng instructed Hong Dou: “Deliver the Immortal Porridge to the young master.”

“Immortal Porridge?” Hong Dou looked bewildered.

Luo Sheng said calmly: “That’s the name of this porridge.”

Hong Dou looked at the food box with a complex expression and praised: “How strangely fitting.”

Probably only immortals wouldn’t find it objectionable.

However, this was personally prepared by their miss!

Hong Dou carried the food box and walked off with an imposing air.

Luo Sheng didn’t remain idle but selected another appropriately-sized earthen pot and prepared to make meat porridge.

Well water was best for making porridge, which needed to simmer over low heat through the night—perfect for delivering to Luo Chen early the next morning.

As Luo Sheng handled the ingredients, her heart, which had been tormented since awakening, finally found a moment of true peace.

She enjoyed cooking, transforming those ordinary ingredients into delicacies that made one’s mouth water.

Perhaps she hadn’t liked it so much at first—when had it begun?

Luo Sheng thought carefully.

Mother had a weak constitution and poor appetite. More cooks came and went through the Prince’s Manor than even physicians.

There were retired imperial chefs as well as folk masters.

Probably it was that year on Mother’s birthday when, still young, she discovered Mother ate a few more bites of the pastries she’d made herself—she’d fallen in love with it from then on.

Later it became a habit. She immersed herself in it, imagining that if Mother ate a few more bites of her cooking, her health would improve a bit.

Mm, if Luo Chen ate more of her cooking, his body would surely grow stronger bit by bit.

Once he was a bit sturdier, she could wash her hands of it and leave.

Luo Sheng sank into pleasant fantasies.