Nie Kong pondered for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "I remember your name is Miao Ge. Didn't you leave this morning? Why are you still at the Apothecary Hall?"

Hearing the latter half of Nie Kong's sentence, Miao Ge’s expression instantly became incredibly strange. Her large, watery, beautiful eyes widened, and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry in her heart: "You, you, you can't be serious? I helped you write down the results of the medicine trials all afternoon, and you, you, you didn't even notice me?"

"You were helping me?"

Nie Kong looked at Miao Ge up and down in astonishment, still failing to recognize her.

He recalled that someone had taken the pen from his hand that afternoon, but he had been completely immersed in various medicinal herbs and hadn't spared a thought to look at the person's face. Realizing the ridiculous situation he had caused, Nie Kong slapped his forehead in frustration and apologized with a hint of remorse, "I'm truly sorry. You are practically my great benefactor. If you hadn't helped me this afternoon, finishing one hundred and twenty tasks today would have been a good outcome."

"Benefactor, schmene-factor."

Miao Ge couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled sweetly at Nie Kong, "You only joined the 'Medicine Heart Hall' this year. I’ve been here for two years; by rights, I'm your senior sister. How about this: call me 'Senior Sister' twice, and I'll forgive you."

Nie Kong was speechless. Why did young girls who were minors or just barely adults always like to pretend to be older? But since he, a man nearing thirty, had called the nineteen-year-old Hua Mei "Sister-in-Law" and the eighteen-year-old Mu Hongling "Little Master," calling this Miao Ge "Senior Sister" was no great matter; he could just indulge the girl's vanity a little.

"Senior Sister, Senior Sister."

Nie Kong cheerfully called out twice, then suddenly turned and jogged toward a narrow alleyway ahead, "I have something to do, I have to go first."

"Hey..."

Miao Ge was just about to sweetly agree and offer Nie Kong a "Good boy," when he slipped away. She quickly swallowed back the words that had rushed to her throat and cried out, "What is it? I'll go with you?"

"Home to sleep!"

He threw those few words out crisply, and Nie Kong’s silhouette vanished at the mouth of the alley.

Miao Ge stood stunned for a moment, a faint blush suddenly blooming on her pretty face. Home to sleep? This guy must have deliberately answered that way after hearing my question! Her beautiful eyes darted, and Miao Ge gently lifted her hand to toy with the beauty mole at the corner of her lip. A trace of mischievous glee suddenly flashed in her eyes...

...

"Sister Chan, what’s the rush to call me over?" At the corner of the alley, Nie Kong stopped, looking at Long Xuechan in front of him and smiling.

"Nothing,"

Long Xuechan gently shook her delicate head.

"Ah?"

Nie Kong froze for a moment.

Seeing Nie Kong stand there with his mouth agape in a daze, Long Xuechan giggled softly. She slowly raised her jade hand, sweeping a few strands of hair that had fallen across her full, plump chest to behind her shoulder, fully exposing the two smooth, pale hemispheres and the deep cleavage above her strapless top. Having successfully drawn Nie Kong's gaze, Long Xuechan deliberately puffed out her tall, prominent chest toward his eyes and purred seductively, "What, can't I call my little brother over just because I have nothing to do? Nie Kong, you seemed to be chatting quite well with that little beauty earlier. Surely I didn't interrupt something