With a patient needing surgery added to the household, besides the scholar taking exams, Qi Yue notified the kitchen to prepare an extra invalid's meal. Upon hearing this, the pregnant Aunt Zhu in the waiting wing mentioned it to the Marquis of Dingxi, prompting the Marquis to inquire if there was also a special meal for a pregnant woman.

"My Lady, you absolutely must not agree to that," Chang Chunlan whispered.

Qi Yue, who was teaching Yan'er daily oral hygiene, heard this and casually asked why.

"Bringing a child into this world is like walking through the gates of the underworld; it is incredibly perilous," Chang Chunlan said, glancing outside as she lowered her voice further. "If any accident befalls the mother or the child, any implication regarding their food or drink will cause immense trouble."

Qi Yue hummed in acknowledgment, having seen such matters discussed in books, novels, and on television.

"Thank you for the advice, Elder Sister," she smiled, calling over A'ru. "Go and tell the Marquis that since the birth is approaching, there is no need for excessive rich tonics. She should just eat whatever she desires, keeping things light. Eating, after all, is a human instinct. The body craves what it lacks, so following that instinct is the greatest tonic."

A'ru responded with an "Understood" and turned to leave.

"Then, does Yan'er wanting to eat sugar cake mean her body is lacking sugar cake?" Yan'er immediately tugged at Qi Yue's sleeve, saying this quickly.

Qi Yue quickly shook her head.

"That won't do," she stated. "Isn't there the saying, 'Emotions arise from feeling, but propriety dictates restraint'? If people acted on every impulse, wouldn't everything descend into chaos?"

Yan'er froze, stunned by the logic.

Chang Chunlan couldn't help but chuckle.

"I don't care, I don't care, I want it, I want it," Yan'er recovered and started shaking Qi Yue's sleeve insistently.

Chang Chunlan watched, surprised that her own daughter had a moment where she could act so spoiled. As she laughed, her eyes suddenly grew a little moist.

"Alright, alright," Qi Yue, who had no defense against small children, raised her hands in surrender. "Eat, eat, we'll go eat. There's also a saying that the world belongs to children. No truth works against them."

Where did all these sayings come from? Chang Chunlan laughed again, lightly dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

She surveyed Qi Yue's room. The decor was simple, without heavy incense. There were few decorative trinkets; the tables were piled high with thick papers and books, slightly messy rather than orderly—a mess brimming with vitality and a comforting peace.

Simply put, it radiated life.

Her gaze fell upon the quilt on the luohan couch, and she paused momentarily before looking toward the outer room.

Qi Yue and Yan'er were sharing a piece of sugar cake in the sitting area, chatting and laughing.

Did husband and wife sleep separately? A flicker of doubt crossed Chang Chunlan's mind.

"The Heir Apparent has returned," the maids announced from outside the door, lifting the beaded curtain simultaneously.

Chang Chunlan quickly stood up. Yan'er, usually more energetic than most children, instantly quieted down and anxiously looked for a face cloth.

"What are you afraid of? Your uncle is very bold; he fears nothing," Qi Yue laughed, holding Yan'er back.

Chang Yuncheng strode in, sweat still beading on his forehead from returning from the morning drill grounds.

"Don't come back right after exercising; at least let the sweat settle over there. Even though you walked all the way home through the biting winter wind," Qi Yue chided gently.

Yan'er stood quietly behind Qi Yue. Chang Chunlan did not step forward but watched them converse. The look of doubt on her face faded, replaced by a smile of relief.

"There aren't so many issues," Chang Yuncheng said, noticing Chang Chunlan standing there.

"Marquis," Chang Chunlan said, offering a curtsy.

"Elder Sister has come," Chang Yuncheng nodded in greeting, glancing at Yan'er. "She is indeed small; she needs to eat more and build herself up."

Yan'er stood behind Qi Yue, head bowed, executing a proper curtsy.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle," she murmured indistinctly.

Chang Chunlan took Yan'er’s hand and took her leave. Meanwhile, Chang Yuncheng went inside to wash and change into casual clothes before reappearing.

"Come with me to pay respects to Mother," he instructed.

Qi Yue frowned.

"I still won't go," she said. "You saw last time she wasn't pleased, so you two, mother and son, can go together..."

Her sentence was cut off sharply by Chang Yuncheng.

"Last time Mother was resting. What nonsense are you thinking?" he snapped.

Qi Yue looked at him, suppressing her temper.

"Chang Yuncheng, don't pretend to be obtuse. It is a fact that your mother dislikes me. A few trips paying respects and speaking nice words won't make her like me; in fact, it will only make her find me more irritating," she said patiently.

Chang Yuncheng's expression darkened.

"Since you know this is a fact, why won't you go and try to win Mother's favor?" he demanded. "With your attitude, how could Mother possibly like you?"

"Her not liking me isn't because of my attitude!" Qi Yue’s voice naturally rose as well.

"What kind of attitude is that!" Chang Yuncheng raised his voice too, his eyebrows furrowed in a stern glare. "Who would like you with that kind of attitude!"

Qi Yue let out a breath.

"It doesn't matter if she doesn't like me; I never asked anyone to like me," she stated, turning away to grab the neatly stacked drawings and walking out.

Chang Yuncheng grabbed the drawings she held, pulling her back forcefully.

"So, you actually don't care at all?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"There are things I care about, and things I don't," Qi Yue looked at him and said. "Chang Yuncheng, I don't want to fight with you. Let's sit down calmly and talk this through properly..."

Chang Yuncheng shoved her away and stormed out.

The door curtain flew open with a loud thwack before settling back down with a muffled thud.

Qi Yue sighed.

Chang Yuncheng's anger had little effect on her. Just as she herself had said, whether the people here liked her or not, what did it truly matter to her?

Arriving at Qianjintang, Qi Yue asked if they could go to the public morgue earlier that evening.

Liu Pucheng looked surprised.

"We can't go tonight," he said.

Qi Yue was also surprised.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, finding a specific corpse isn't easy," Liu Pucheng lowered his voice.

"There are so many bodies there; aren't they just available for us to use?" Qi Yue asked.

Liu Pucheng was torn between laughter and tears. Where did she get the idea that corpses were simply 'available'? But perhaps it was precisely because of this background that she had acquired such proficient skills. What kind of person could treat corpses so casually?

"Of course not. Those remains all belong to someone," Liu Pucheng explained quietly. "We only have a chance to borrow one if it’s an unclaimed body, and even then, it must be done secretly. If it were reported to the yamen, it would be the major crime of grave robbing."

Qi Yue understood instantly and sighed again.

"I'll ask Xiao Guan to help arrange another one for us as soon as possible," Liu Pucheng said softly.

There was nothing else to do. Qi Yue nodded.

"Then we'll just have to wait a bit longer," she said, rallying her spirits. "But that’s fine. Let’s tackle other problems first. Based on last night's experiment, we still have many things to discuss."

Liu Pucheng nodded, picking up paper and pen.

"Without methylene blue and iodine solution, I can't perform accurate localization..."

"What are methylene blue and iodine solution?"

"They are for precise spot coloring and marking lines, which helps me ensure accurate suturing... Also, the thread used last night was too coarse..."

After consulting with Liu Pucheng, since physical experiments couldn't be conducted immediately, Qi Yue proceeded with her lecture.

"Where is Hu San?" A'ru asked immediately upon noticing his absence.

Ah Hao and Quezhi finally looked around.

Right, that person wasn't here. Usually, the moment they entered, he would be the first to greet them.

"Senior Brother went to retrieve the model," one disciple explained.

The human model they were making last time, intended for emergency treatment practice. Qi Yue hummed, pleased.

"It’s finished already?" she asked.

"Yes, Senior Brother said the carpenter is nearly done. He brought it today for Master to see how it is. If it's acceptable, we'll ask him to make two more," the disciple replied.

The versatile artisans of ancient times! Qi Yue clenched her fists.

"Then let's start the lesson and wait for him while we talk," she said.

The lecture finished quickly, but Hu San still hadn't returned.

"Why is it so late? Is the carpenter's house very far from here?" A'ru grew restless and asked.

"It's not far," several disciples replied. "Could Senior Brother have gone off to play?"

"No," A'ru stated firmly.

"Perhaps he felt it wasn't made well and is modifying it," Qi Yue suggested. "Don't worry."

A'ru paused, then her face instantly flushed red. I’m not worried. Why would I be worried? I don't care if he comes or not...

At this moment, Qi Yue finally got revenge for being teased by A'ru a few days ago, letting out a sly chuckle.

A'ru shot her a disgruntled look, but seeing everyone looking at them quizzically, she dared not speak further.

"I'll go to the front to help," she stomped her foot and went out.

Now, besides listening and giving lessons, they also participated in Qianjintang's work, performing the most basic nursing tasks.

"Come on, let's go help too," Qi Yue called out with a smile.

Just as they stepped out the door, they saw A'ru running back headlong.

"My Lady, this is bad! Hu San has been captured!"

When Qi Yue and the others rushed into the street, the crowd of onlookers had not dispersed, milling about and discussing animatedly.

"What exactly happened? What's going on?"

"Did Senior Brother get greedy for money again and try to treat a patient?"

The disciples frantically questioned the surrounding onlookers.

"We don't know."

One by one, the onlookers they questioned quickly shied away. Did he provoke someone powerful? Qi Yue unclasped the silver bracelet from her wrist and held it up.

"Whoever tells me exactly what happened gets this!" she shouted.

The crowd, on the verge of scattering, paused, staring at the silver bracelet held aloft by the woman, which glittered fiercely in the sunlight.

"I know!"

Under the lure of a great reward, an old woman jumped forward, shouting.

"The young man you're looking for publicly molested a noble young master on the street, and the master captured him, saying he'd take him back to beat him to death!" she announced loudly.

At these words, Qi Yue and the others froze. What? Molested a noble young master?

Qi Yue gasped, her mouth agape, and the bracelet slipped from her hand. The old woman snatched it up with quick hands, shouted, "Thank you, madam, for the reward!" and scurried away. Hu San is actually a sodomite? And such a brazen one at that?

Fan Yilin felt this was an auspicious day. After accompanying his wife back to her maternal home for three days, he finally regained his freedom. He was spared the tedious company of his mother-in-law and a gaggle of elderly women playing cards and watching plays, and he didn't have to join his father-in-law and elder brother-in-law in sipping tea and discussing literature. It couldn't be helped—his wife was the youngest child of the family; his in-laws had her late in life, resulting in his elder brother-in-law being nearly the age of his own father, and the younger sister-in-law was too far removed in generation to converse with him. For a man as dashing, skilled at cockfighting, and fond of dog racing as he, it was a profound loneliness. Thank heavens his wife was wise and understood his melancholy, granting him permission that day to roam freely within Yongqing Prefecture, provided he returned home by nightfall.

Young Master Fan was known for his romantic exploits, and his retainers were equally flamboyant. While he was indulging himself heartily at a tavern, his attendant had already inquired about the premier courtesan house in Yongqing Prefecture and secured a booking with the top-ranked girl.

There was still plenty of time before dark—time enough to accomplish many things.

Fan Yilin, astride his horse, thought of how alluring and intoxicating the attendant had described Miss Hong, wishing he could sprout wings and fly there. He felt the horse was moving too slowly and couldn't resist whipping it twice with force.

The startled horse reared and bolted forward. Fan Yilin, lost in visions of exquisite pleasure to come, lost his grip on the reins. With a cry, he was thrown backward off the horse. Before his body even hit the ground, the horse, with its hind legs kicked up, delivered a strike right to his chest.

His retainers heard a sharp cry, cut short as if it hadn't fully escaped, and then they saw their young master sprawled motionless on the ground.

Their master’s riding skills were notoriously poor, yet he insisted on showing off, claiming that riding a horse made a man manly—truly suffering for pride. Alas, this time he had fallen off and lay still. The retainers rushed down in disarray to surround him, but unlike usual, their young master didn't spring up like a carp shaking off dust. He remained face down and unresponsive.

The retainers panicked and flipped him over. Good heavens, this time he was scared unconscious!

"Young Master, Young Master," the retainers called out, slapping his face.

Finally, one retainer noticed something truly wrong.

"Young Master's face!" he yelled suddenly, pointing at Fan Yilin's face on the ground. Cyanosis!

Hu San peered in from the edge of the crowd and, at first glance, had an immediate thought.

"Make way!" he shouted, simultaneously raising his hand. "I am a physician!"

This shout drowned out the surrounding murmurs. The word "physician" also stunned the crowd. Hu San easily reached the front of Fan Yilin, pushed the attendant aside, and knelt down.

He checked for vital signs.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Can you hear me?" Hu San shouted loudly near Fan Yilin's ear.

No response. Hu San adjusted the position, tilted the head back to open the airway, brought his ear close to the mouth and nose to check for breath—look, listen, and feel—there was no respiration.

Hu San took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and pressed it against Fan Yilin's mouth, slowly exhaling air.

The onlookers froze. What were they witnessing?

In that moment of stunned silence, Hu San repeated the mouth-to-mouth procedure several times before forcefully placing his hands on Fan Yilin's chest.

"Two effective breaths, five compressions, one defibrillation cycle," Hu San murmured, performing the actions methodically.

The crowd finally snapped out of their trance and erupted in loud shouts.

"You lad! What are you doing?" Fan Yilin's retainers finally came to their senses and charged at Hu San, throwing punches.

"He stopped breathing! I am helping him breathe!" Hu San shouted, ducking under a blow and beginning the next cycle of artificial respiration.

At that moment, Fan Yilin coughed twice and slowly opened his eyes. He saw a man's face pressed close, a foul, bloody mouth sealing his own. Dead...

Fan Yilin rolled his eyes and truly fainted.

"Young Master!"

The nearest retainer saw it. Heavens! Their young master had been scared unconscious by being molested by this man! They hesitated no longer, grabbing the audacious intruder within seconds.

"Beat this queer to death!"

A four-thousand-character update for the end of April, welcoming May. Thank you all for your continued support.

Sometimes, seeing the pink tickets, I feel tempted to vie for them, but my novel has intense emotional peaks and troughs, with plots that occasionally frustrate or upset readers, so I refrain from driving those highs and lows. Secondly, if I receive too many votes, I have no way to fully repay everyone, which makes me feel guilty and uneasy. I write slowly, and I have many family and work responsibilities, leaving little time for writing each day. However, I see and remember every vote you give me. Thank you all.