The old master’s eyes were full of delight, his voice light with excitement.
Then, immediately, his heart ached: “This little face… darker, and thinner too.”
Jiang Fuyue rubbed her cheek against his calloused palm, a bit affectionate, a bit coquettish: “But healthier.”
“Words alone don’t count, come on, ” Ye Qianji extended his hand.
Jiang Fuyue went along readily, turning her wrist upward and offering it to him. The old master focused his mind and steadied his breath, and began taking her pulse on the spot.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand. “Your condition is good, but you still need to keep drinking milk.”
“Okay.”
The two went to a nearby reception room to talk. Niu Rui passed by the doorway and was caught red-handed by the old master: “Little Ruirui, where are you off to?”
“Breakfast, of course. Want me to pack one for you?”
“Hehe, a bowl of lamb vermicelli, same as always…”
“Extra cilantro, extra scallions, ginger, and garlic, got it!” Niu Rui answered smoothly, waved just as smoothly, and strode off.
Ye Qianji let out a chuckle. “That kid…”
Seeing the two getting along well, Jiang Fuyue felt happy, and the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously.
The old master had drifted outside for twenty years looking for her. Now that he could settle down and enjoy life, there was nothing better.
Before, Jiang Fuyue had worried that he and Niu Rui wouldn’t get along, and Niu Chunhua was someone who loved to roam and was rarely around. With one old and one young living under the same roof, their living habits and temperaments almost completely different, conflict seemed inevitable.
But now it seemed she had overthought it.
“Shigong, what do you think of Niu Rui?”
Ye Qianji smacked his lips. “A lazy kid with no drive, knows only how to eat and sleep.”
“Isn’t that quite like you…” Jiang Fuyue muttered softly.
The old master heard it and immediately widened his eyes, raising his voice: “He’s miles worse than me, okay! I’m top three in the entire Zhong Kui server, he can miss even when catching people. How is that comparable? Absolutely not!”
“Yes, yes, yes, he’s just a noob.”
Only then did the old master nod in satisfaction. “Right! Bad at the game and still addicted. Let me tell you, you have no idea how he balabala…”
Jiang Fuyue: “……”
Who knew how long he talked, until a cool voice came from outside: “Shigong, your noodles.”
Niu Rui was leaning against the doorframe, a takeout bag in his hand, staring at the two with a blank expression, who knew how long he had been secretly eavesdropping.
Ye Qianji: “!”
He walked over, set down the lamb vermicelli, and as he turned away tossed out a “hmph,” then left.
Ye Qianji: “…Little Moonlight, was I a bit too much?”
Jiang Fuyue: “It’s fine. In a bit you can carry him for a couple of rounds. If that doesn’t work…”
Ye Qianji: “Then four rounds!”
Jiang Fuyue: “……” As long as you’re happy.
“Shigong, how is Ming Yu doing now?”
Ye Qianji’s slurping motion paused.
Jiang Fuyue couldn’t help but tense up. “Is it not very good?”
“No, it’s about what I expected, everything’s going smoothly. It’s just that later he’ll still need to cooperate with rehabilitation to walk again. Don’t worry.”
“Where’s Ming Yu? His phone is off, I can’t reach him, and I can’t find him at his residence either. His assistant temporarily went back to the Northwest, and only knows bits and pieces, can’t explain clearly, just says he’s receiving treatment.”
Since he was receiving treatment, Ye Qianji should know.
That was why she asked.
“Oh, I had your Great Grand Uncle take him back to Qinghui Mountain.”
“Qinghui Mountain?”
“Mm. The scenery there is beautiful, good for recuperation. Our Shaoyang Sect’s mountain gate is a geomantic treasure, lucky that guy!”
Jiang Fuyue nodded, without any suspicion. No wonder she hadn’t seen Cen Huaishan this time.
“Can Great Grand Uncle manage on his own?” At such an advanced age, and still having to look after Ming Yu in a wheelchair.
Ye Qianji’s tone was relaxed. “You don’t know this, do you? Although our Shaoyang Sect isn’t as prosperous as thirty years ago, we still have a few disciples. Once they get there, there’ll naturally be people to receive and take care of him.”
“Besides, that guy Cen Huaishan isn’t short of money, where would it be inconvenient for him to go?”
That was true.
Old Master Cen, besides being the 26th-generation head of the Shaoyang Sect, was also the former head of the Cen family and a retired board chairman of the Cen Group who still collected dividends, one could say he was swimming in money.
What’s more, Ming Yu himself was also a hidden tycoon.
Now Jiang Fuyue was completely reassured. “Then how long will he stay on the mountain?”
“That depends, no set time.”
“Alright.”
After asking everything she wanted to know, Jiang Fuyue stayed to accompany the old master for lunch before leaving.
“Here, for you.” Ye Qianji set the takeout box on Niu Rui’s desk.
“Don’t want it. Take it away!” His anger still hadn’t subsided.
So what if his gameplay was a bit bad and he lost sixteen ranked matches in a row? The old master actually mocked him as a trash player? How could that be tolerated?!
He, Niu Rui, had a temper too!
“Really don’t want it? I packed it especially for you~” The old master smiled, dangling the bag in front of him.
“Hmph!” Niu Rui turned his head away outright.
Not looking, not looking, but it smelled really good…
Ye Qianji sighed, unhurried. “Alright then. Guess this top-grade double-headed abalone and Aussie lobster can only be dealt with by me.”
“Wait…”
A quick smile flashed through Ye Qianji’s old eyes. “What?”
Niu Rui swallowed. “There’s abalone and Australian lobster in there?”
“Yep. Big ones too. Cost a few thousand, I think. Ah well, enough talk, I’d better eat it while it’s hot. Once it gets cold there’ll be a fishy smell, affects the taste…”
As he spoke, he was about to leave.
“Hey?” Niu Rui couldn’t sit still anymore. “Wasn’t this for me? Why are you taking it away again?”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want it?”
“Ahem, I thought about it, and suddenly felt a bit hungry, so I’ll… reluctantly accept it.”
Ye Qianji shoved it into his hands. “Eat slowly. I’m going to the basement.”
“You’re going to see him again?”
Ye Qianji had already walked up to that painting and pressed the switch. The hidden door opened. As he went down, he didn’t forget to remind him: “Watch what you say. Yueyue still doesn’t know, don’t let anything slip.”
“Got it. You’ve reminded me eight hundred times already. Do I look like someone who can’t keep his mouth shut?”
But how long could it really be kept secret?
Sigh.
…
Underground, besides housing the intelligence central control system, there was also a small medical room.
The air was filled with the bitter, desolate scent of Chinese medicine. The closer one got, the heavier the bitterness became.
Ye Qianji pushed open the isolation door. Inside was an entire wall of herbal medicine drawers; in front of the cabinet was a waist-high consultation table, with various instruments placed to one side.
A blend of Chinese and Western medicine, chaotic yet orderly.
Going past the tall herbal cabinet further in was a hospital bed. On it lay a raised shape, a man with a pale face and tightly closed eyes.
Natural light poured down from the skylight, casting a bleak layer over the room.
Perhaps alert, or perhaps not sleeping deeply, Ye Qianji’s faint footsteps still made him open his eyes.
It was Ming Yu, who should have been recuperating quietly on Qinghui Mountain at this very moment!
“Awake?”
“Mm.”
“Just in time, drink the medicine while it’s hot.”
Ming Yu obediently sat up. Because his legs couldn’t exert force, he could only grip the handles on both sides of the bed and use the strength of his upper body to sit upright.
Ye Qianji handed over the medicine. “This is the third dose. Tomorrow it’s time to change the prescription.”
Ming Yu took the bowl and drank it all in one go, his expression unchanged.
Just watching made Ye Qianji feel bitter, the decoction contained a heavy amount of coptis.
“Yueyue came by earlier.”
Ming Yu’s hand paused as he set the bowl down, and he suddenly lifted his gaze.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t tell her the actual situation. I just said you went to Qinghui Mountain with Old Cen and would be staying there for a while.”
Only then did he let out a light breath.
“But hiding it like this isn’t a solution. She’ll find out sooner or later.”
Ming Yu said, “If it can be delayed one day, then delay one day. By the time she knows, my condition has to be at least better than it is now. That’s enough.”
If it’s a bit better, her worry will be a bit less.
“What I originally promised her was that when we met again, I’d be able to stand and talk to her.”
According to the original plan, Ming Yu should have already begun rehabilitation by now. But plans couldn’t keep up with changes. During the second stage of acupuncture treatment, his right leg began to deteriorate rapidly, and the needle sites developed inflammation and ulceration.
With no other choice, Ye Qianji could only stop the treatment and focus on anti-inflammation and removing necrotic tissue.
During that period, Ming Yu was in critical condition several times. Fortunately, relying on his tenacious will to live, he pulled through each time.
That delay lasted two months, and the subsequent treatment became significantly more difficult as a result.
Ye Qianji could only insert the needles cautiously and lengthen the recovery time after each session.
Up to now, they had only just begun the third stage of treatment.
But even with such caution, Ming Yu’s body could hardly bear the load. Now he couldn’t even get out of bed.
His assistant also hadn’t returned to the Northwest, but had moved here to take care of him.
“Yueyue isn’t easy to fool. Just because you got lucky this time doesn’t mean you can keep muddling through next time. You’ve known her for more than a day or two, you should know she hates deception the most.”
Ming Yu fell silent.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly spoke: “…Can the treatment be advanced? It doesn’t matter if the medicine is stronger. I can endure it.”
Ye Qianji was stunned.
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