Wen Ming thought of the medicated meals she’d had before. "Is that really necessary? I just haven’t been sleeping well."
Chu Zheng said with a faint smile, "They won’t just give you random tonics. There’s a traditional Chinese medicine doctor there who can take your pulse on-site and recommend a soup base that’s right for you. You look like you’ve lost quite a bit of weight. Any thinner and it won’t be healthy."
Wen Ming’s protest died in her throat. "Fine."
But she still had to make a last-ditch protest. "I’m not sick. I’m perfectly healthy."
"We’ll let the doctor be the judge of that," Chu Zheng didn’t argue with her. In fact, he felt that this version of Wen Ming was completely different from her usual self. ’Isn’t she normally so gentle, poised, and elegant?’
’Right now, a little bit of her temper was starting to show. He figured her usual demeanor was just a public facade, while this side of her was something she rarely revealed.’
The hotpot restaurant was incredibly bustling. While queueing for the doctor, Wen Ming raised an eyebrow. "It’s almost midnight, and there are still this many people?"
Chu Zheng replied, "Mhm, everyone’s here for Elder Qi. He used to be the deputy director of the Provincial Hospital, and getting an appointment with him is notoriously difficult."
Wen Ming couldn’t help but laugh. "I’ve heard that no one can keep secrets from a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Are they really that incredible?"
Chu Zheng replied, "You’ll find out when you see him."
Inside the small cubicle, seeing Elder Qi’s serious expression, Wen Ming’s heart involuntarily clenched.
After taking Wen Ming’s pulse and examining her tongue, Elder Qi finally withdrew his hand. "To love too deeply is to court a short life; to be too wise is to invite your own harm..."
The hand Chu Zheng had on Wen Ming’s shoulder tightened, but Wen Ming’s expression remained unchanged. She simply asked Elder Qi, "My health... there’s nothing seriously wrong, is there?"
"No major problems," Elder Qi said, sliding his reading glasses down his nose. "It’s nothing more than melancholy weighing on your heart and excessive brooding, on top of not resting well recently. These are all minor ailments, but you have to learn to let things go. If you can’t, they can easily develop into major problems."
"I’m pretty good at letting things go," Wen Ming said with a small smile. "I’ve just been reminded of some unpleasant memories these past few days. It’ll pass quickly."
Elder Qi nodded slightly. "It’s good as long as you can truly let go. For now, just rest well. I recommend the cordyceps and American ginseng chicken soup base here. It nourishes the yin and strengthens the spleen."
Wen Ming stood up. "Thank you, Elder Qi."
In their private room, Chu Zheng agonized for a long time before finally speaking up. "Tomorrow... Tomorrow, I’ll go with you to see a doctor."
That phrase from Elder Qi about "courting a short life" had truly frightened him. Right now, Chu Zheng’s heart was in his throat.
Wen Ming was amused. "There’s really no need. It’s just that singing love songs these past couple of days has taken too much of an emotional toll. That’s why I don’t like singing them—you have to give away too much of yourself."
"It’s like that album you released a few years back. I remember you were in a really bad state after it came out." Chu Zheng’s brow remained tightly furrowed. He admired Wen Ming’s talent, but in his heart, Wen Ming herself was far more important.
"It’s not that dramatic," Wen Ming said. As she went to ladle some soup, Chu Zheng smoothly took the ladle from her. Only then did she continue, "It’s just that I suddenly had to sing one of Qi Ying’s songs this time, which forced me to dredge up old memories."
"I haven’t thought about the past in a very long time," Wen Ming said, resting her chin in her hand. Her eyes seemed to shimmer under the lights.
"Of course, love songs are simply torture for me."
Chu Zheng was silent for a long time. "I rarely see you like this. It’s... painful to watch."
Wen Ming said, "I’m fine. As long as I don’t sing love songs, I’ll gradually get back to normal. I haven’t lived nearly long enough; I really don’t want to end up dying young..."
"Don’t say that," Chu Zheng chided gently. "Don’t say things like that. I can’t bear to hear it."
Wen Ming’s hand paused, and she didn’t press the issue. They had met five years ago, and the two had kept in contact ever since. Wen Ming had a vague inkling of Chu Zheng’s intentions.
’She was terrified of anyone talking to her about romance now. Experiencing the bitterness of love twice was more than enough; she had no desire to go through it a third time.’
’Besides, her life was good like this—it was free. Although she felt lonely at times, having Tan You around meant that even the dead of night never felt too difficult to endure.’
What Wen Ming didn’t expect, however, was that Tan You, the person who was always by her side, had suddenly developed a new hobby: traditional Chinese medicine. Ever since she’d seen Elder Qi take Wen Ming’s pulse and lay out her condition so clearly, Tan You had become immensely curious about the practice.
In the Western Fantasy World, she had never been skilled with potions, but Tan You believed that was only because she’d never had a master to guide her, not because she was a hopeless case.
However, after following Elder Qi for a few days, Tan You discovered that she might truly not be cut out for traditional Chinese medicine. For instance, when it came to the concepts of the Five Elements and Yin and Yang, she simply couldn’t wrap her head around them.
She could memorize countless prescriptions and ancient formulas, but when it came to practical application, these remedies had to be modified on a case-by-case basis, which Tan You found incredibly difficult. But was she the type to give up easily? Obviously not.
It was only when she returned to Wen Ming’s side, armed with a huge pile of books, that she discovered someone else was there.
"You two... what’s going on here?" It was rare for Tan You to be this surprised. "I’ve only been gone for half a month, and he’s already wormed his way in?"
Wen Ming rolled her eyes. "It’s precisely because you weren’t here. I needed someone to talk to, and it just so happened that he was patient enough to listen."
Tan You leaned in to get a closer look, and Wen Ming instinctively shrank back. Tan You put on a stern face. "What are you hiding for? I saw it. Is he part dog or something?"
Wen Ming flushed. "Don’t talk to me about that. You’ll corrupt the children."
Tan You let out a dry laugh. "So what’s the deal now? You’re just going to keep things ambiguous like this?"
"No," Wen Ming said, a little bashfully. "He knows I have this deep-seated insecurity, and it’s not something that can be solved with just a few words from him."
"He signed an agreement with me. If his feelings ever change in the future, he’ll leave with nothing but the clothes on his back. All of his assets will go to me. It’s to give me peace of mind."
Tan You shook her head. ’This whole scenario feels strangely familiar.’ Oh well. She shook her head again. ’I’ve been through so much; it only makes sense that I’d forget some things.’
"As long as you’re happy," Tan You said. What else could she say? She could meddle in heaven and earth, but could she really control whether or not Wen Ming fell in love?
Wen Ming hugged a throw pillow. "I’m a little scared, and a little anxious... but I can’t deny that when I’m with him, I’m genuinely happy. He’s very emotionally supportive."
Tan You practically cringed. "Great. Now I have a million reasons to find him annoying. I’m gone for half a month, and I come back to find my home’s been robbed."
Wen Ming’s face was flushed. "I just wanted to chat with you that night, but you were off studying. I was scrolling through my phone, he saw that I was still online, and we just started talking."
"I used to tell you everything, but you weren’t here, were you? And I happened to be feeling really bottled up."
Tan You heaved a long sigh. "So you’re saying this is my fault?"
"That’s not what I meant," Wen Ming said, waving her hands. "I was just too lonely, and he happened to be there."