"I say, Jiang Hai, surely not that much? Haven't seen a woman for only a month and you're completely bewitched?" Several people teased him loudly.

Others playfully pushed Jiang Hai.

"Hey there, little miss, did you see? This is the handsomest man in our town. Women from eighty down to eight adore him. Look at him, haven't you seen such a fine specimen?" One man laughed heartily, reaching out to pinch Jiang Hai's mouth to force a grimace.

These rough fellows were getting increasingly inappropriate with their talk. While it might have been tolerated when directed at courtesans or the daughters of city merchants, they were now addressing Madam Qi, Ah Hao, and even the wounded soldiers with such disrespect.

"Hey! Clean up your language," Ah Hao shouted, stepping in front of Qi Yue.

The wounded soldiers, despite their injuries, hobbled over, intending to argue and shove back.

But they were no match for these men. Just as the commotion escalated, Jiang Hai suddenly shoved the man in front of him and lunged toward Qi Yue.

Qi Yue flinched slightly and took a step back.

The man made no aggressive move.

"Madam Qi!" Jiang Hai looked at Qi Yue, his excitement almost bringing him to tears. "Am I dreaming?"

Huh? They know each other?

Qi Yue sized him up. He looked about twenty, his complexion tanned and wind-beaten, but his eyes were bright and sharp. When he smiled, his teeth showed bright white. It seemed plausible that men exaggerated his widespread appeal.

Qi Yue suffered from slight face blindness and felt the young man looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen him.

"All right, Jiang Hai, let the little miss see your enthusiasm," someone quipped.

Seeing Jiang Hai rush right up to Qi Yue, both groups froze for a moment, then instantly turned excited and agitated.

Jiang Hai’s companions were excited, shouting loudly and even whistling.

The wounded soldiers were agitated; this was the saving grace they had managed to invite, and now she was being insulted like this!

As the room started to descend into chaos, Qi Yue suddenly uttered an "Oh," pointing at Jiang Hai.

"Oh! You, Jiang Hai!" she called out, a smile dawning on her face. "It's you!"

Jiang Hai’s face crumpled with disappointment.

"Madam Qi, you truly don't remember me..." he said, his face contorted as if on the verge of tears.

The news that a group of men had come to gawk at the field hospital spread quickly. The personnel at the military medical camp had long been fed up; though they disapproved, their status prevented them from intervening. Now, someone else was stirring up trouble for them.

Four or five men waited outside the barracks, eager for a spectacle, but the spectacle that arrived was not the one they had anticipated.

"What did he say? Is she really the Divine Healer?"

"She saved Jiang Hai's life?"

Hearing the news filtering out from inside, the soldiers from the medical camp stood dumbfounded.

Could it be true? Such a coincidence?

Inside the wounded soldiers' barracks, the earlier tension and noise had vanished, replaced only by Jiang Hai's exclamations.

"Do you people even know who this is?" Jiang Hai practically shouted himself hoarse, his eyes shining with excitement as he addressed the stunned crowd. He suddenly ripped open his clothing. "When I was wounded, on the brink of death, it was Madam Qi who saved my life!"

The man stood bare-chested. Ah Hao let out a sharp scream and quickly turned away to shield her eyes. Qi Yue smiled faintly and shifted her gaze.

The scars left by the sutures on his bare skin were somewhat horrifying.

"Look at this! This is what Madam Qi treated! She even gave me someone else's blood so I could live again," Jiang Hai declared, then turned to the wounded soldiers. "You are truly lucky to have invited Madam Qi here!"

The entire courtyard once again focused their gaze on Qi Yue. Jiang Hai's companions were astonished—so this was the woman their friend was always talking about. They had thought he was delirious from his injuries, but she truly was heavenly beautiful. The wounded soldiers were thrilled; this woman was genuinely the famous Divine Healer, and they were saved.

"Madam Qi, when did you arrive? Why didn't you come to find me?"

As evening approached, Qi Yue walked out of the makeshift hospital. Jiang Hai, who had been waiting the entire time, couldn't restrain his chatter. Before Qi Yue could answer, he answered for her.

"...Oh, did you come with the Heir's Young Mistress? Wait, where is the Heir's Young Mistress? Everyone has been looking for her."

The Heir's Young Mistress?

Qi Yue blinked, and Ah Hao's eyes widened.

"Mistress is..." she began to exclaim.

Qi Yue quickly pinched her arm.

Ah Hao swallowed her words.

"I am no longer residing at the Residence of Marquis Dingxi," Qi Yue said with a smile.

Jiang Hai paused, genuinely surprised by the news.

"I opened a medical clinic, so now I am just a doctor," Qi Yue continued.

Jiang Hai suddenly understood; Madam Qi was no longer a bondservant of the Marquis of Dingxi's household.

"Running your own shop, eh?" he said, his eyes lighting up. "That's even better."

Qi Yue nodded with a smile.

"What Heir's Young Mistress is coming?" she inquired.

"The Heir Lord’s men sent word from the capital saying the Young Mistress is coming and everyone should prepare to welcome her. We've been in an uproar for days, and we haven't even seen a shadow of her," Jiang Hai shrugged. "If you ask me, she probably hasn't even left yet. Women traveling are so fussy and delicate; they walk half a day and need to rest a whole day. By the time the Heir Lord returns, she might still not have arrived."

Qi Yue understood immediately. Chang Yuncheng must have found out her whereabouts in the capital, or perhaps seen a letter.

The Young Mistress, huh? How dare he say that! He lacked courage when he needed it most!

Jiang Hai was still talking, but Qi Yue wasn't paying attention; she couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.

"Madam Qi?" Jiang Hai called out again.

Qi Yue snapped back to attention and looked at him.

"What?" she asked quickly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"I was asking why you suddenly came here?" Jiang Hai said, looking slightly aggrieved. Madam Qi hadn't recognized him at first glance, and her conversation with him wasn't exactly warm.

"Nothing, just wandering around," Qi Yue replied with a laugh.

Jiang Hai simply acknowledged it and didn't press the issue. He didn't care why Madam Qi was here; the important thing was that he had finally seen her.

"Madam Qi, I asked the Heir Lord to send you some things. Did you receive them?" he asked nervously, rubbing his head.

Things?

Qi Yue paused.

"Ah? The Heir Lord didn't give them to you?" Jiang Hai asked with disappointment.

"Oh, I see. I left the Residence of Marquis Dingxi quite a while ago, and I travel often. I suppose he didn't have time to send them to me yet," Qi Yue quickly said with a smile.

This seemed to reassure Jiang Hai, and he nodded.

"If I had known you opened a clinic, I would have just had them sent there directly," he grinned, then asked Qi Yue how long she planned to stay.

"I don't know, we'll see how things go," Qi Yue replied cheerfully.

That meant she wouldn't be leaving in just a day or two, and Jiang Hai couldn't stop smiling.

He followed Qi Yue all the way to the rented house. When he saw Xiao Qu and the other four guards, Jiang Hai was startled again, and Xiao Qu and the others were equally surprised.

"Brother Jiang, you’re back?" Xiao Qu asked quickly.

"Xiao Qu, why are you all here too?" Jiang Hai asked in astonishment. "Did you come with the Young Mistress?"

Xiao Qu glanced at Qi Yue, who shook her head.

"No, we made a mistake, so we left the Residence of Marquis Dingxi. We are grateful that Madam Qi took pity on us and hired us as general laborers at the clinic to earn a living," Xiao Qu said, lowering his head with a hint of shame.

Good at improvising and lying without batting an eye, Qi Yue thought, nodding in relief.

Jiang Hai hummed noncommittally, unsure how to react to such news.

"Don't worry. The Heir Lord has a quick temper, but he'll calm down after a while. I'll speak to him then, and you can go back," he said, throwing an arm around Xiao Qu's shoulder in a low voice.

Xiao Qu smiled and thanked him.

With Jiang Hai as a living advertisement, within a few days, the news of the Divine Healer in Gansu Town spread everywhere. No one doubted Qi Yue's identity because Jiang Hai touted her everywhere he went.

"This is the Divine Healer, Madam Qi, who saved my life," he boasted proudly. He trailed after Qi Yue all day long. If it weren't inappropriate between genders and against military orders, he would have gladly moved into her house.

The lanterns were already lit. Ah Hao pouted, watching Jiang Hai inside, still beaming as if blooming.

"This is the last plate of pastries. If Lord Jiang doesn't mind, please try them. We've eaten everything edible, and there's no time to make more," she said testily, setting down the tray she held.

The tray held biscuits made from eggs and flour, shaped into various designs using molds—they looked beautiful and delicious.

Jiang Hai wasn't dense; he knew the little maid was ushering him out. How had time passed so quickly? He stood up reluctantly.

"I'll take these back for a late-night snack," he said with a smile, tipping the plate of pastries into his sleeve.

Qi Yue quickly told Ah Hao to wrap them up. Ah Hao carefully packaged them and handed them to Jiang Hai, who then departed happily.

The next morning, someone knocked early.

"That boy is back again!" Ah Hao, who was currently helping Qi Yue comb her hair, stomped her foot. "He's so annoying."

Qi Yue smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

"He's happy to see an acquaintance in a strange land," she laughed.

Meanwhile, A'ru at the door watched Xiao Qu open it and froze in surprise.

"It's not Jiang Hai," she called back to the two inside.

Seeing the plump woman stepping into the room, Qi Yue lowered her gaze to the name card.

Gansu Garrison Headquarters.

She must know my identity and has come to invite me?

"Are you a doctor?" the stout woman asked, sizing up Qi Yue.

This seductive creature? How could she be a doctor? The woman couldn't help but curl her lip.

Qi Yue realized she hadn't been recognized for her identity; they had simply come to request a doctor.

"Yes. How may I assist your esteemed household?" she asked with a smile.

The stout woman spat dismissively.

"Hey, why are you talking like that? It sounds like your house needs a doctor," she huffed.

Qi Yue frowned but remained silent.

"Hey! What's your attitude? You know we're doctors! If you don't need a doctor, what are you here for? Begging for food?" Ah Hao immediately jumped in, glaring furiously at the woman.

The stout woman snorted.

"The late-night snack that Lord Jiang brought back yesterday, was it made in this residence?" she suddenly asked, looking down at her fingernails languidly.

Jiang Hai?

Qi Yue paused, thinking of last night's cakes.

"Yes," she nodded.

It didn't make anyone sick, did it?

"Your cook, our Garrison Madam wants to buy her. Name your price," the stout woman said lazily, inspecting her own nails.

Buy the cook?

Qi Yue and everyone else stared, stunned.