It turned out this person was Wang Qian. So this was what it was like to share laughter and wine.

When he rounded the tree, he suddenly saw the scene, resembling a happy family of three, and then saw the woman and the man exchange a smile; his mind went completely blank with a loud boom. So she really was that happy...

So she really could be this happy.... It turned out to see this was even more....

Unbearable. Qi Yue dropped the skewers she was holding and hurried over in a few steps.

Wang Qian also stood up. Wang Qiao'er took the opportunity to drag all the grilled items on the plate towards herself, tasting them one by one.

The man before her looked travel-worn, clearly having lost a good deal of weight, yet despite the long time since they last met, the sight of him was immediately familiar. “Chang Yuncheng, you—how are you back?” Qi Yue was both surprised and delighted.

Thinking of something, she scrutinized him up and down, “Are you—are you alright? Are you injured?” Watching the woman rush towards him in an instant, her smile as bright as ever, the ringing in Chang Yuncheng’s ears gradually faded.

Injured? He stared dumbly at the woman.

She was the first person to ask him that since his return. It was her; the very first thing she asked was this.

Chang Yuncheng felt a burning pain in his throat. He remembered her words: Chang Yuncheng, I like you.

“I’m fine,” he managed, a faint smile touching his lips. He hadn't expected to be able to smile, yet it felt completely natural.

It was as if nothing had happened; he was her husband returning from campaign, and she was his wife rushing to greet him first. “Fine?” Qi Yue frowned.

“Then you are injured?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and smiled. “Truly fine,” he stated.

“Shizi Ye.” A male voice broke in, shattering the illusion. Chang Yuncheng was wrenched back to reality.

“Shizi Ye has returned,” Wang Qian approached and bowed in greeting. Chang Yuncheng remained silent and did not return the bow.

He was a man, and he could not and did not wish to act with such effortless composure and ease. The situation became awkward.

“We were having a barbecue,” Qi Yue interjected, trying to break the heavy atmosphere, pointing to the grill nearby. “Shizi Ye, would you like to join us?” We?

Chang Yuncheng felt his ears ringing again. Wang Qian subtly averted his gaze, a hint of unease in his expression.

Already we? The atmosphere seemed to worsen.

Qi Yue, too, calmed down from the initial surprise of seeing Chang Yuncheng. Right, why was he here?

What was he doing here? He looked like he was catching someone in the act...

Catching someone? Qi Yue laughed.

Who was he to judge! This laugh brought Chang Yuncheng back to his senses.

In the blink of an eye, though he was smiling too, this smile was completely different from the first one he’d given upon seeing her. This woman was about to flare up again...

It seemed he had provoked her. Chang Yuncheng gave a self-deprecating smile.

From beginning to end, all he could offer her was this—never to make her smile, but only to make her angry. “Shizi Ye, weren’t you looking for the Mistress to seek medical help?” A Ru couldn't stand it and spoke up quickly.

Qi Yue let out a soft "Oh." “I wonder which hostage you’ve captured this time to test my skills?” she asked with a half-smile. Chang Yuncheng looked at her and smiled, saying nothing.

Seeing him like this, Qi Yue felt a bit bored, realizing she was making a scene. She reached up and touched the tip of her nose.

Chang Yuncheng bowed deeply to her. “Please, Mistress Qi, save my mother,” he said in a low voice.

Madam Xie is ill? Qi Yue was stunned for a moment.

“Is it depression or mania? Well, I’m not very good with psychiatry...” she asked with a smile.

Given what she knew about Madam Xie, it was highly likely the woman had mental issues. Chang Yuncheng didn't understand the terms she used, so he didn't react with the annoyance a modern person might show upon being insulted.

He simply remained bowed. Looking at the bowed Chang Yuncheng, Qi Yue sighed.

“I might not be able to help, but if you insist, then send her to Qianjin Hall,” she offered. Chang Yuncheng still did not straighten up.

“My mother can no longer move. I must trouble the Mistress to make a house call,” he murmured.

She can’t move? That serious?

“What is wrong with her?” Qi Yue asked seriously, her face professional. “Have you seen any other doctors?” Hearing her question, Chang Yuncheng felt a sharp pang in his chest.

Yes, what was wrong with her? How could it have gotten so severe?

He had rushed home, seen the gravely ill Madam Xie, and learned that they had barely called any doctors. “The Madam said she was fine,” the attending wet nurses said.

Chang Yuncheng scanned the room. Apart from Mama Su and A Luan, most faces were unfamiliar.

In less than a few months, how had Madam Xie’s attendants all been replaced? Listening to the wet nurses, though their faces were respectful, the faint air of perfunctory duty did not escape Chang Yuncheng’s notice.

He said nothing, simply lifted his foot. Wails erupted from the room.

“Useless servants like this, why keep them?” he said coldly. “Shizi Ye, spare our lives!” The wet nurses, kicked to the ground and nearly beaten half to death, begged for mercy, crying out.

A flurry of footsteps sounded outside the door. “Yuncheng, why are you back?” Marquis Dingxi hurried in, looking both surprised and worried.

“Did you get permission from the Ministry of War? You didn’t flee back without authorization, did you?

That’s a capital offense involving the whole clan!” “Mother is this ill, and you didn’t tell me!” Chang Yuncheng spun around and roared. Marquis Dingxi was startled back.

“Unfilial son! How dare you speak to me like that!” he bellowed back angrily.

“My Lord, please don’t be angry; Shizi Ye is worried about the Madam,” a soft female voice intervened. Only then did Chang Yuncheng see the woman who had followed in behind the Marquis.

“You?” he looked coldly at Concubine Zhou. “What are you doing here?” Concubine Zhou curtsied to him, her expression respectful yet tinged with shame, seemingly terrified by the accusation.

Seeing his woman berated by his son, Marquis Dingxi lost face. “This is her home.

She hasn’t been divorced, so of course she can return,” he said angrily. That single sentence struck Chang Yuncheng’s rawest nerve.

Yes, the woman who shouldn't be here had returned, and the one who belonged here would never return. Chang Yuncheng clenched his fists, his joints cracking audibly.

“Shizi Ye, please don't blame the Marquis. The Madam has been unwell for quite some time.

She kept saying it was nothing, and we’ve consulted people who said it was minor. But somehow, she didn’t improve, so she’s been taking medicine and resting.

We truly didn't mean to hide it from Shizi Ye,” Concubine Zhou quickly explained. “Who did you consult?” Chang Yuncheng asked coldly, not looking at her.

“Everyone who should be consulted,” Marquis Dingxi replied irritably. “She is your mother, and she is my wife!

What do you take me for?” “If she wasn't getting better, why didn't you ask Qi Yueliang to take a look?” Chang Yuncheng asked, word by word. Marquis Dingxi shot up.

“My Lord, of course, we wanted to ask her. She is the divine doctor here now.

However, given our household’s situation with her... well, it’s perhaps not entirely suitable, is it?” Concubine Zhou quickly pulled the Marquis’s arm, signaling him to calm down, as she spoke.

Chang Yuncheng looked at her. “Of course, with you here, it is indeed not suitable,” he said coldly.

Concubine Zhou’s face grew pale; she lowered her head and raised a hand to wipe away a tear. “Shizi Ye, that incident, it truly had nothing to do with me…” she whispered mournfully.

“Enough! It’s not that it’s ‘not suitable’ because of her; it’s because of you, and because of you,” the Marquis snapped, pointing first at Chang Yuncheng and then toward Madam Xie, who was lying weakly unconscious in the inner room.

“You two—you drove out Yueliang! What right do you have to beg someone to treat her now?

Besides, even if we asked, why would she agree!” He would never endure such a humiliating request! Chang Yuncheng looked at Marquis Dingxi.

“She is not that kind of person,” he said. What kind of person?

The Marquis paused, confused. Chang Yuncheng stopped looking at the Marquis and ceased speaking to him.

“Please invite Imperial Physician Zhou in,” he said faintly to the open doorway. He’d actually invited an Imperial Physician?

Marquis Dingxi was surprised, then visibly relieved. “To alarm an Imperial Physician over such a small matter!

Don't let people say you are arrogant through favor,” he remarked, his tone softening considerably, adopting the manner of an elder lecturing a junior. “She is my mother,” Chang Yuncheng said, without looking at the Marquis, walking step by step to Madam Xie’s bedside and kneeling.

“No amount of effort is too much.” “Shizi Ye’s filial piety will surely be commended by the court; they won't criticize,” Concubine Zhou quickly chirped, wearing an expression of relief. Marquis Dingxi nodded, not pressing the issue of Chang Yuncheng’s demeanor, since the young man had never been polite anyway.

The Imperial Physician had entered; he was a man around fifty, with a calm expression. “It started half a month ago, a slight cold, nasal congestion, shortness of breath,” the Marquis described the symptoms from the side.

“We invited Elder An from Shanning...” “Physician An Yuanpan?” Imperial Physician Zhou immediately stood up and asked respectfully. Marquis Dingxi nodded.

Chang Yuncheng’s expression toward the Marquis eased slightly as he lowered his head to look at Madam Xie. Madam Xie’s complexion was sallow; she was deep in sleep, occasionally emitting a snoring sound due to difficulty breathing.

“Elder An said there was no danger, just some phlegm obstructing the mind, so he prescribed medicine to clear the heart and moisten the lungs,” the Marquis continued. “She was actually improving, but then...” He paused here, looking somewhat sheepish.

“And then?” Imperial Physician Zhou inquired, not letting the matter drop. “She has a poor temper,” the Marquis said, glancing at Madam Xie.

“She threw a fit, agitated her liver energy, and she worsened that very day.” Concubine Zhou dabbed at her eyes on the side. “It’s all my fault…” she choked out.

“I told you it wasn't your fault,” the Marquis immediately comforted her. Imperial Physician Zhou, being well aware of the politics within affluent households, asked no more questions upon hearing this.

After a cycle of observing, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse, he straightened up formally. “Imperial Physician, how is she?” Marquis Dingxi asked immediately.

Chang Yuncheng remained silent, watching the Imperial Physician. “The Madam is likely beyond saving,” he said in a low voice.

At these words, Concubine Zhou was the first to begin wailing. Marquis Dingxi’s face turned ashen; he slumped onto a chair.

Chang Yuncheng leaned over the bed, trembling. It was this severe!

Thinking of this, Chang Yuncheng trembled again throughout his body. “They say phlegm has blocked her mind, her throat is swollen, and her vital energy is obstructed,” he stated, trembling word by word, before bowing deeply once more.

“Please, Mistress Qi, save her life.” “You don’t need to be so polite; please rise,” Qi Yue said. “I am a doctor.

Since someone has requested a consultation, I will naturally go and take a look.” “Thank you,” he murmured, head still bowed, slowly rising, turning without looking back, and walking away step by step. Qi Yue watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh.

“I’m sorry,” she turned to Wang Qian and said, “I’ll have to treat you all another time.” “It’s a matter of life and death, Mistress, hurry!” Wang Qian urged. Qi Yue nodded and quickly left with A Ru.

Wang Qian watched the figures of the mistress and maid disappear before averting his gaze. He turned around to see that the plate in front of Wang Qiao'er was completely empty.

“You ate it all?” Wang Qian stared in astonishment. Wang Qiao’er elegantly dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief and stood up.

“To prevent that wicked woman’s food from harming Father, your daughter helped clear the disaster for Father,” she said softly and gracefully. But in the next instant, she hiked up her skirt and ran off with quick steps, her refined lady demeanor vanishing instantly.

Wang Qian watched his daughter run away, shaking his head helplessly. The charcoal fire was still burning brightly.

The skewers Qi Yue had placed on the grill had turned to charcoal. Wang Qian reached out, took them off, and replaced them with a fresh string, slowly turning them as the grease sizzled.

“Not getting to eat makes one crave it more,” he murmured to himself. He paused, then continued, “But perhaps tasting it makes the memory harder to forget?” He laughed at that, shook his head, and then focused on grilling the meat.

After leaving the site, Qi Yue returned to Qianjin Hall, informed Liu Pucheng she was going out for a consultation, and came out with her medicine box. Chang Yuncheng waited outside the door.

He watched as the woman emerged but didn't look at him, walking directly towards a carriage. Qianjin Hall’s carriage looked small and humble compared to the Marquis’s carriage parked nearby.

The carriage headed toward the Residence of Marquis Dingxi, with Chang Yuncheng riding his horse alongside. He vaguely recalled a similar scene from the past.

That woman, with a hint of cold detachment, stepping out of Qianjin Hall, ignoring him completely as she boarded the carriage. “Hey, take me to the liveliest marketplace in your area...” A crisp female voice sounded near his ear.

Chang Yuncheng whipped his head around to look. The blue cloth cart rattled along, the fabric swaying, obscuring the interior, so quiet it seemed empty.

Chang Yuncheng turned his gaze forward. By the time they reached the gates of the Residence of Marquis Dingxi, it was already past noon.

Qi Yue looked at the main gate; everything appeared as before. She hadn't expected to step through this gate again, and so soon after leaving.

Fate was truly unpredictable. Qi Yue smiled faintly.

The massive doors opened, and the steward walked out first, looking visibly emotional. A crowd of young servants squeezed up behind him, all displaying similar excitement.

Every pair of eyes offered a silent greeting, yet none knew how to start speaking. “Mistress Qi, please,” Chang Yuncheng said gravely from the side.

Yes, the Qi Yueliang who walked out would never return. The one entering now was Qi Yue.

One departure, one return; things and people had irrevocably changed. Qi Yue gently lifted her skirt and stepped across the threshold.

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