Doctor Gong turned to look at Dong Lin.

"Your junior martial-niece?" he asked, suddenly recalling shime, "Don't you only have one senior martial brother? Then she must be your senior martial brother's disciple? Isn't your senior martial brother..."

"Yes, she is from the Qianjin Hall of Yongqing Prefecture," Dong Lin replied, his face also showing surprise, though mixed with a certain confirmation.

See, see, this method of treating illness—where did this woman learn it? Naturally, Liu Pucheng taught her! If Liu Pucheng knows it, why don't ziji know it? It must be because Master truly...

"Then she must be that..." Doctor Gong hurried to say, "The fastest updates for novel chapters."

Before he finished speaking, a young gentleman ran in from outside.

"Uncle, the Chen family says Madam Qi has already arrived. Have you seen her?" Li Jin asked.

Master Li also came to his senses, turned his head, and looked at Dong Lin.

"Yes, she is Madam Qi from the Qianjin Hall of Yongqing Prefecture," Dong Lin confirmed with a nod.

Master Li stamped his foot.

"Hurry and chase her," he ordered.

How could things become so chaotic!

Where did these completely nonsensical titles come from—Dong Lin's junior martial-niece! The honored guest of Duke Deqing's residence! Madam Qi of the Qianjin Hall of Yongqing Prefecture! Look at the misunderstanding this has caused!

The others in the room also snapped back to reality and rushed out in a flurry.

Li Tong was still kneeling outside the door, head bowed. Seeing his uncles, older uncles, and elder brothers rush out of the room in a panic, he wondered, What happened?

By the time the Li family chased out, Qi Yue was already riding away in her carriage.

Qi Yue felt nothing about being rudely sent away by the Li family. She leisurely lifted the carriage window to watch the street scene outside.

"Is the illness cured?" A'Ru asked.

"More or less. Once the lingering symptoms clear up and she receives anti-inflammatory treatment, she should be fine," Qi Yue said dismissively.

"Then why didn't you explain things to them?" A'Ru, utterly puzzled, finally couldn't help but ask.

She had been thinking, ever since entering the capital, this Madam Qi who felt so familiar now seemed a bit unfamiliar again, as if she wasn't the same as before.

Qi Yue turned her head and gave A'Ru a playful smile.

"Explain? I don't want to explain. Why should I explain? I only want to treat the illness," she said.

A'Ru paused.

"So, you mean, Madam is here only to treat the illness, and whether they believe it or not is none of your concern?" she clarified.

Qi Yue nodded with a smile.

"Exactly," she chuckled, reaching for the small silk fan beside her—a gift from Madam Chen. It was very fashionable in the capital; almost every woman had one. She fanned herself gently. "Didn't I tell you before?"

"Tell me what?" A'Ru asked, confused.

"This is called Fan'er (Style/Presence)," Qi Yue said with a smile.

A'Ru couldn't help but purse her lips and smile, reaching out to gently push her.

Qi Yue sidestepped the push this time.

"A stumble teaches a lesson," she laughed. "You didn't push me."

A'Ru burst into loud laughter and simply reached out with both hands.

The two guards walking outside heard the women giggling inside the carriage, exchanged a look, and smiled too.

The Li family failed to catch up to Qi Yue. This was because they had gone straight to Duke Deqing's mansion, only to find out there that Madam Qi didn't reside there, but in Madam Chen's old residence. So, a whole group of them rushed over here. By the time they arrived, Qi Yue was already back home, undergoing further beautification treatments from Madam Chen—being washed and scented.

"It's just about viewing a palace. Will the palace care what shime I look like?" Qi Yue asked with a smile.

Two exceptionally well-kept maids were painstakingly tweezing the fine vellus hair from her body with thread, not even sparing behind her ears.

Madam Chen watched from the side with a gentle smile.

"Madam, you can't say that. We women must always pay attention to our appearance," one maid said with a smile, examining Qi Yue and praising, "Madam is truly beautiful. Look at this skin, so soft and fair, as if using the finest pearl powder daily."

"Thank you," Qi Yue replied with a smile.

Thank you? The maid was momentarily stunned. Shouldn't she be shy? What did 'thank you' mean?

As they were speaking, someone ran up to the door to deliver a calling card.

"Old Master Li's residence requests Madam Qi to come and see a patient," the servant reported.

"Didn't we just go there?" Madam Chen frowned.

Qi Yue nodded.

"Who came?" she asked.

"It was Old Master Li's legitimate grandson, Young Master Li the First," the servant replied.

She didn't recognize him.

Qi Yue waved her hand.

"The person who initially invited me from their household was the young master named Tong. Tell them to go back and ask clearly what happened, so they don't cause another misunderstanding," she instructed.

Young Master Li the First, without even entering the door, received such a reply—a first in his life.

With Li Huaiqing present, which member of the Li family dared to treat him lightly? No matter shime rank the person held, once a visiting card was presented, regardless of whether the person was home or not, they were first invited to the reception hall. But this household...

"Only my paternal aunt lives here alone; my aunt's husband passed away long ago..." a young member of the Chen family accompanying him quickly explained.

This somewhat excused the rudeness, and Young Master Li the First felt slightly better. But those words from Madam Qi... Did the eldest legitimate young master’s invitation mean less than that of a concubine’s son?

"What happened just now at our place must have caused some displeasure," the accompanying young relative whispered. "Perhaps you should return and discuss it later."

There was nothing else to do in this situation. They were the ones asking for a favor, not the ones being sought out.

Young Master Li the First nodded and quickly left with his retinue.

The Li family members who heard this explanation were somewhat speechless. Everyone present was sharp; none failed to understand Madam Qi's meaning. A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? This woman was clearly not giving them face, but giving face to Li Tong!

What incredible luck this boy had!

"Go, send for him," Old Master Li commanded.

A group of people started looking for Li Tong. After searching around and failing to find him, they finally remembered he was still kneeling outside Li Huaiqing's gate.

By now, dusk was already settling in. Li Tong remained in the corner, as no one had told him to rise. He dared not move, enduring the pain of kneeling.

"Oh, Young Master, quickly, quickly, get up," several servants rushed in from outside, wearing unprecedentedly ingratiating smiles as they helped him up.

Li Tong hadn't fully processed what was happening before he was pulled up and ushered out.

What was happening now?

They flocked to Old Master Li's room. The first person to step forward was his father.

"Can you still walk?" he asked with a stern face, his gaze fixed on Li Tong's leg.

Despite the stern expression, this was a huge surprise for Li Tong. When had his father ever cared about his leg...

"Yes, yes," he stammered quickly.

"If you can't walk, take the carriage," one of the uncles expressed clear dissatisfaction with Li Tong's father's comment. Didn't you people from the Fourth Branch invite the doctor? Why act so superior?

Li Tong was startled. Was he about to be thrown out?

"Use my carriage," Old Master Li stated. "Hurry now."

Li Tong felt his breath catch. What in the world?

Li Tong was somewhat dazed as he was helped into the carriage. He didn't fully grasp the situation until they were leaving the gate. He wasn't a fool, of course. Being invited by anyone was better than inviting himself, especially since the person inviting carried much more prestige. But the fact that Madam Qi had said what she said clearly indicated she was deliberately giving him face.

He recalled Fan Yilin's words: "Trusting Madam Qi, you can't go wrong. She truly brings safety, official promotions, and wealth. Back when the plague first struck Yongqing Prefecture, Madam Qi directly decreed to those who didn't believe her: those who do not believe me shall die. And what was the result? It proved true—those who didn't listen to her or believe her met terrible ends..." Fan Yilin had said proudly.

At that time, Li Tong heard this very differently from Fan Yilin; in fact, he was quite repulsed. If you don't believe, you must die? Even gods and Buddhas aren't this tyrannical? This woman seems extremely difficult to deal with.

At this moment, the woman did indeed seem difficult, yet his heart felt warm. Why this strange feeling? Was it because he was the beneficiary? Perhaps this was the base nature of man: actions that are supposedly immoral and condemned, if they bring personal profit, become tolerable or even cause joyous celebration.

Li Tong oscillated between fleeting joy and sighs of worry. Amidst this turmoil, the carriage quickly stopped in front of Madam Chen's residence.

As everyone predicted, Li Tong was admitted smoothly.

After completing a set of post-treatment care, Qi Yue under the lamplight was even more stunning to Li Tong than the last time he saw her. He was so flustered he dared not lift his eyes, afraid that looking up would cause him to lose his composure.

"It was my oversight that caused Madam Qi to be misunderstood," he said, bowing deeply. "I have come today to apologize and beg Madam Qi to save my grandfather."

"I summoned you here specifically to explain the patient's condition to you," Qi Yue said with a slight smile.

Li Tong froze.

"Since you were the one who invited me, I naturally owe you an explanation," Qi Yue continued. "Your grandfather has thoracic abdominal distension, likely caused by choking on an egg, which then resulted in free gas in the abdominal cavity."

Li Tong was completely bewildered, not understanding a single word of this pronouncement.

"You don't need to understand what shime I'm saying," Qi Yue said knowingly, resting a hand on the chair's armrest. "You only need to know that I can treat it. In fact, I have already cured it. What follows is relying on anti-inflammatory drugs for symptomatic relief. He should be fine within seven or eight days at most."

Li Tong understood this part, feeling both astonishment and joy. It was cured already? But he dared not question further. He bowed deeply to express his thanks and invited Qi Yue to their residence again.

"There's no rush about that. You have so many doctors in your household; the condition is not critical. I have obligations tomorrow, so I cannot visit your manor today. If I return early tomorrow, I might stop by for another look," Qi Yue stated.

So, she still hadn't been persuaded to come...

Li Tong returned, still dazed, and relayed Qi Yue's words to the anxiously waiting crowd. The Li family was utterly speechless. Isn't this Madam Qi too arrogant?

Doctor Gong and the others were waiting to see Qi Yue, with countless questions to ask, only to receive such a reply. What did she mean, 'no rush'? What did she mean by 'you have so many doctors in your household'? What did this woman take them for? As apprentices, manual laborers, or assistants? Oh, I cured it, and the rest of these trivial matters you all can handle! How presumptuous!

"What could possibly be more important than saving a life?" Doctor Gong asked gravely.

"Exactly! Compared to Old Master Li's illness, everything else is insignificant!" another doctor quickly agreed. Although crude, the sentiment was comforting, and it was true—what important business could a country doctor like her have in the capital?

Everyone in the room nodded. Dong Lin also sighed, wearing an expression of helpless disappointment in the younger generation.

"What do you mean, cured? Oh, so it's cured? How is this considered cured?" another doctor hotly contested, pointing at Old Master Li.

Old Master Li responded to him by turning his head.

"I want to eat something..." he said slowly in a raspy voice.

This statement immediately left the doctors collectively speechless. This was the first time in days that Old Master Li had asked for food.

The maids were instantly overjoyed, and Old Madam Li, who had been sitting by his bedside, wept tears of joy.

"He's well, he's well! Thank you, Guanyin Bodhisattva," she said, trembling as she wiped her tears, then busied herself asking the doctors if he could eat.

Doctor Gong finally took a deep breath, turned, and seriously examined Old Master Li.

"Let him take a small amount of human milk," he instructed.

The 26th, yy, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget! I don't want to be left hanging alone; that would be too embarrassing. Everyone, please show some support! Ahhhhhh, the host seems not to understand web novels very well, or perhaps not female-oriented web novels. If they do, it’s only the greats like Tian Can Tudou and Tang Jia San Shao. So, I will look at the questions you all submit. Come on, let the host understand what a 'girl's web novel' is~ (To be continued.) No pop-up novel website www.RT