"Faking it? Why?"
Xia Yunting was surprised by Rong Zhi's quick conclusion.
"Isn't it obvious? Miss Zhang is so anxious about Divine Doctor Chu, it's clear she has feelings for him. And Divine Doctor Chu is afraid of women; even a glance from me scares him away. Miss Zhang has been taking care of him day and night, how could he dare to wake up?"
"I see. So, if Divine Doctor Chu is kept away from that lady, he'll be fine."
"No!" Rong Zhi shook her head.
"Even if Divine Doctor Chu wakes up temporarily, it's only a superficial fix."
"Then what should we do?"
Xia Yunting didn't miss the glint in Rong Zhi's eyes. He had a sudden premonition: this little girl was up to some mischief again.
Rong Zhi chuckled inwardly. She had been looking for an opportunity to investigate this person's background, and now one had presented itself.
If he truly earned money through deceit and fraud, she wouldn't stand for it.
She put on a grave expression and said, "This matter is tricky. If it weren't for Miss Zhang's request, I wouldn't have gotten involved. Although I've only met Miss Zhang once, she gave me several times the usual consultation fee last time I treated her. Of course, I must do my best to help with what she asks. It's a bit troublesome, but I will try my best to cure Divine Doctor Chu's gynophobia."
Gynophobia? That was quite an apt description.
Xia Yunting played along. "How do you plan to cure it?"
"No rush. Let's go find Miss Zhang first and understand the situation."
"Alright."
As the door closed, the person who had been lying in bed feigning sleep suddenly opened his eyes.
Chu Qingze's lips twitched. He couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "What kind of doctor is this, meddling in other people's business..."
Everyone in Changping County knew he, Chu Qingze, and Zhang Yajing were not on good terms. The doctors who had examined him before, even if they found no issues with his pulse or complexion, wouldn't dare to definitively say he was faking. This woman, after just a few questions and feeling his pulse, had made such a conclusion. Who would believe it if she spread it around?
Chu Qingze snorted, "So what if they know? I just won't wake up. What can you do about it?" He didn't want to deal with Li Hao's messy affairs anyway and was happy for some peace. He leaned back and continued to pretend to sleep.
"Divine Doctor, is Divine Doctor Chu's body alright?" Zhang Yajing eagerly asked as the two emerged.
"There are no major physical problems. It's likely a psychological issue."
"Psychological issue?" Zhang Yajing glanced at Xia Yunting, her gaze flickering before quickly returning to normal. "What kind of psychological issue?"
Rong Zhi smiled. "Miss Zhang, you should be aware of this. To be frank, I've met Divine Doctor Chu before, but as soon as he saw me, he was so scared he hid away."
"Is that so... You've met Divine Doctor Chu." Zhang Yajing's face flushed with embarrassment. She had intended to keep it a secret, but seeing Rong Zhi's gaze fixed on her, she knew she couldn't hide it any longer.
"Miss Zhang, tell me your story with the Divine Doctor."
"This... it's a long story..." Zhang Yajing glanced at Xia Yunting again. Seeing that he had no intention of leaving, she braced herself and continued. "Divine Doctor Chu came to Changping County eight years ago. At that time, I... was still quite young and didn't know any better. Seeing how handsome Divine Doctor Chu was, I..."
Fell in love. At this point, she blushed. After all, she was a young lady, and even the most boisterous among them would feel shy talking about such matters. Love at first sight. Rong Zhi wasn't surprised by this outcome. Although Divine Doctor Chu's character wasn't great, he was indeed quite handsome.
"I didn't know how to express myself then, so I went to ask my father. Who would have thought my father misunderstood and directly found Constable Li and a few other constables... and had him arrested..."
"..." Zhang Yajing's voice grew softer as she spoke.
"Your father didn't... torture him, did he?"
Zhang Yajing's eyes darted away, and Rong Zhi knew her guess was right.
"No, it wasn't my idea. I had no idea at the time. By the time I rushed over, my father had already started the torture. I immediately rescued Divine Doctor Chu, but he still... started to hate me." Zhang Yajing's expression darkened as she recalled the unpleasant memory.
Rong Zhi looked shocked. She had heard of noble sons using their influence to force common girls, but she never expected to hear about them forcing common men. Hearing this, she understood. It was likely that the county magistrate's actions back then had left a psychological scar on Chu Qingze, causing him to fear all women.
"Miss Zhang, forgive my presumptuousness, but may I ask if you want to cure Divine Doctor Chu because you still want him to marry you, or is it purely out of guilt?" After all, for an unmarried girl to bring an adult man into her home was certainly not ordinary. Even though the rules for women weren't as strict as in previous dynasties, Zhang Yajing's actions would still cause gossip.
"This..." Zhang Yajing hesitated, her face reddening. "Of course, I want him to marry me! I wish we could get married right now! But... I also know I wronged him. Now, I just want him to wake up. Even if he can't accept me, I'll accept it. It's all my father's fault. Now he not only hates me, but he hates all women. If he stays like this, how will he ever marry in the future? Because of my momentary foolishness, I ruined his life. If he can never be cured, I will regret it forever. Divine Doctor, I beg you, as long as you can cure him, I'll pay whatever it takes. Even if he hates me in the future, I'll accept it!" Zhang Yajing grabbed Rong Zhi's hand, her face sincere.
Rong Zhi nodded. "Alright." A good girl, just unlucky to be dealt a bad hand by her father. "I'm confident he'll wake up tonight, but you'll need to prepare some medicinal herbs for me."
"That's easy. My family has plenty of herbs. You can take whatever you need." Zhang Yajing's face brightened significantly upon receiving an affirmative answer.
"Cui Xi!" she called out. Cui Xi quickly trotted over.
"Miss."
"This is Cui Xi. You can ask her for anything you need." Zhang Yajing pushed Cui Xi forward, eager to have the patient wake up immediately.
"Divine Doctor." Cui Xi bowed to Rong Zhi. Her eyes flashed with admiration as she looked at Xia Yunting.
"Alright. Also, you don't need to call me Divine Doctor. My name is Lin Mo. Just call me by my name."
Rong Zhi thought it was normal for Zhang Yajing's family to have herbs on hand, perhaps due to some mild asthma. However, Cui Xi led her directly to a warehouse. Upon opening the door, she saw several tall shelves filled with medicinal herbs, including several rare ones that were hard to find on the market. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted towards her. Rong Zhi was stunned. Was this a pharmacy inside their house? For a doctor, this was simply paradise!
"Divine Doctor, what do you need? Just tell me. My young lady is often unwell, so we always keep a variety of medicinal herbs at home," Cui Xi explained, a hint of pride in her eyes.
Rong Zhi nodded. "Then please prepare some Red Sand Leaves, Snow Lotus Seeds, and Black Gastrodia for me..." She listed the names of the herbs one by one. Cui Xi readily agreed and led the way to retrieve them.
The herbs were soon prepared, and Rong Zhi borrowed the kitchen to brew the medicine. Zhang Yajing had suggested having the servants do the brewing, but Rong Zhi refused. If she handed it over to others, how could she tamper with it?
While Rong Zhi brewed the medicine, Xia Yunting waited nearby, his gaze focused on the steam rising from the pot.
"What medicinal herbs are these?" a deep voice asked, sounding particularly pleasant in the kitchen.
Rong Zhi glanced around, confirmed no one else was present, and replied in a low voice, "Poison."
Xia Yunting was taken aback, then suddenly understood. "You want to test his medical skills?" He remembered how angry Rong Zhi had been after hearing Chu Qingze's conversation with the person who delivered the Yunlin flowers.
Rong Zhi paused in her movements and looked at Xia Yunting approvingly. "I didn't expect you to be so clever even with amnesia."
Xia Yunting found the statement odd but didn't show it. Rong Zhi fanned the flames and explained, "This is just a common poison. If he can taste it and find an antidote, it means he has some ability. If he can't, he'll have to come begging me. Then I'll interrogate him properly. The poison isn't fatal, so it's just a lesson to teach him what the consequences are for being an unethical doctor."
Seeing Rong Zhi's confident expression, Xia Yunting became even more curious about how the divine doctor would react after drinking it.
By the time the herbs were brewed, it was evening. Rong Zhi called for Cui Xi and asked her to take the medicine to Divine Doctor Chu. At the same time, dinner was ready. When the servants came to invite them, their attitude was extremely respectful. It was clear how much importance Zhang Yajing placed on this treatment.
The two entered the dining hall, and the aroma of rich dishes greeted them. Although only three people were dining, the table was laden with dishes – a feast of delicacies, colorful, and appetizing. Zhang Yajing personally invited them to be seated. However, when she approached Xia Yunting, his gaze made her smile fade slightly. This man... was so frightening. Even with no expression, he made one feel reluctant to approach.
At the dinner table, Zhang Yajing poured Rong Zhi a glass of wine. "Miss Lin, if you can cure Divine Doctor Chu, it will resolve a long-held knot in my heart. You will not only be Divine Doctor Chu's benefactor but also a great benefactor to me, Zhang Yajing. I'll toast you." With that, she raised her wine glass. Rong Zhi didn't stand on ceremony and downed the wine in one gulp. Xia Yunting, who was also drinking, was surprised by Rong Zhi's bold drinking. He didn't expect her to have such a high tolerance.
His gaze at Rong Zhi was misunderstood by Zhang Yajing. "You two have such good chemistry! Even during dinner, Young Master Xia keeps looking at you." Rong Zhi turned back in surprise and saw Xia Yunting looking away. *That's not 'good chemistry' at all. He's probably plotting something.* As an outsider, Zhang Yajing was unaware of the complexity of their relationship and asked curiously, "How did you two meet?"
"Oh, my husband was captured by bandits, and I rescued him. Back then, ah..."
"Xiao Mo, have some fish." Xia Yunting placed a piece of fish in Rong Zhi's bowl and subtly gave her a warning look. *If you dare to spout nonsense outside, I'll murder my own wife!* Rong Zhi then stopped talking and smiled slightly. Zhang Yajing became even more envious. "I wish I could be as loving with Divine Doctor Chu in the future."
After a few rounds of drinks, Cui Xi suddenly ran in, her face beaming. "Miss, great news! Divine Doctor Chu has woken up!"
"What? Woken up? Hurry and take me to see him!" Zhang Yajing put down her chopsticks and abandoned her meal. "My apologies, the two of you. I must excuse myself for a moment." She then rushed out to see Divine Doctor Chu.
Not long after she left, a person burst in from outside, hair disheveled, clothes untidy, and eyes bloodshot. It was Chu Qingze. As soon as he entered, he pointed at Rong Zhi and demanded, "What did you feed me?"