Seeing Bai Yi’s gaze grow colder and colder, Liu Qing felt helpless too.

“Wifey… Are you angry because you didn’t see me this morning?”

Liu Qing gave a cold snort, shot him a sidelong glance, then turned away and ignored him. Bai Yi tightened the arm around her waist and gently stroked her lovely cheek before speaking.

“I think you’ve misunderstood, wifey. There’s a patient with a really difficult case, and your husband here isn’t much of a doctor. That’s why I was heading out so early—I wanted to look through some books for a solution.”

“If you don’t like me getting up so early, I promise this’ll be the last time. All right?”

At his words, Liu Qing turned around and gently bit the thumb Bai Yi had resting against her cheek.

Liu Qing leaned in and wrapped her arms around Bai Yi, resting her head against his neck as she answered softly.

“You have to hold me until I wake up.”

“All right.”

The two of them cuddled for a while longer before finally getting up…

Wooden table: You only care about yourselves.

Bamboo chair: 6

Liu Qing soon made breakfast for Bai Yi. The two sat facing each other at the stone table beneath the osmanthus tree in the courtyard.

Bai Yi drank his porridge while Liu Qing sat beside him, watching in silence, her hands resting in her lap and her posture tall and graceful. In her red robes and simple bracelets, she had an otherworldly air, with a coolness that seemed to set her apart from the world. Her breathtaking face was elegant and striking, her red lips almost glossy. She wore no particular expression, and though she gazed at Bai Yi with a detached look, a closer glance would reveal the deep affection and concern in her bright eyes…

“Wifey, why are you just watching me? Aren’t you going to eat?”

Liu Qing looked away and gave a faint shake of her head, her red lips parting slightly.

“I’m not hungry yet. You still have house calls to make later, so you should eat more.”

“Mm.”

At that, Bai Yi scooped up another spoonful of porridge and held it to Liu Qing’s lips.

“Here, wifey. Say ahh—”

Liu Qing gave him a cool look, speechless, but still leaned closer and tucked the loose hair behind her ear. She gently closed her eyes and was just about to take a bite when she found nothing there…

Liu Qing: ?

As it turned out, Bai Yi had suddenly pulled his hand back and eaten the porridge himself, then sat there grinning smugly.

Liu Qing’s face turned cold. Her willow brows knitted in displeasure as she reached out and pinched Bai Yi’s thigh.

“Haha, that hurts! Easy, wifey. I’ll stop messing around, I’ll stop!”

Bai Yi stood up and sat beside Liu Qing, wrapping an arm around her waist. Then he scooped up another spoonful of porridge, deliberately blowing on it to cool it before bringing it to her lips.

“Wifey, I didn’t blow on that last spoonful. It was too hot, so I got you another one.”

Liu Qing, sitting beside him, pinched the soft flesh at his waist again, looking thoroughly unimpressed as she spoke.

“Childish.”

She lowered her head to drink the porridge again, but Bai Yi suddenly pulled his hand away once more and put the spoonful into his own mouth.

Liu Qing’s brows drew together at once, and a flash of anger crossed her lovely face. She was just about to snap at him—

“You—”

Before Liu Qing could finish, Bai Yi suddenly kissed her. She felt the warmth and wetness in her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. But soon, she slowly closed them, feeling his tongue move against hers…

“Well, wifey? Does it taste good?”

After a long while, their lips finally parted, but the warmth lingered. Even apart, they stayed nestled against each other.

“…Mm.”

Liu Qing breathed in warm, fragrant breaths. Her cool, lovely face gradually flushed, and she seemed unable to speak clearly, so she could only lower her head and answer softly.

“Then, wifey, are you still hungry? Should I get you a few more spoonfuls?”

At his words, Liu Qing felt her cheeks grow even warmer. She lightly thumped Bai Yi on the shoulder, then parted her red lips.

“…Mm… I’m still a little hungry…”

The two of them fed each other, one bite at a time. Meanwhile, Bai Yi’s other arm, the one around Liu Qing, secretly wandered lower until his hand reached her bottom…

A rosy flush spread across Liu Qing’s neck. She wanted to scold him, but Bai Yi kept her mouth full, and between the fiery warmth of their lips and the movement of his tongue, she was becoming more and more flustered. She couldn’t think about anything else and could only let him do as he pleased…

Osmanthus tree: 6

Stone chair: You only care about yourselves.

“Well, wifey, I’ll be off now. I’ll leave everything at home to you.”

Bai Yi stood at the doorway, cheerfully waving to his wife. Liu Qing waved back lightly, her voice a little gentler than before.

“Mm. Come back early.”

“I will, wifey.”

…

After Bai Yi left, Liu Qing was all alone in the spacious courtyard. The lively atmosphere had gone quiet in an instant. Only the faint rustle of leaves in the osmanthus tree could be heard…

After seeing Bai Yi off, Liu Qing returned to the stone table beneath the osmanthus tree and began clearing away the dishes. The clinks of bowls and chopsticks sounded especially loud just then…

Once she had finished her chores, Liu Qing sat alone at the stone table, holding the few medical books Bai Yi had left on the desk that morning. Her gaze lowered, she seemed lost in thought…

Before long, a woman dressed in black appeared out of thin air behind Liu Qing. She was just as lovely and tall, and the woman’s dark, fitted outfit added a touch of heroic spirit to her already bold bearing.

When she stopped a short distance behind Liu Qing, she dropped respectfully to one knee. Her voice rang out, clear and melodious.

“Your Highness.”

Liu Qing, seated at the stone table, showed no reaction, as though there were nothing unusual about this… Her attention remained on the medical book in her hands. After turning a page, she spoke in a cool voice. This time, though, there was none of the gentleness she’d shown Bai Yi…

“When will he arrive?”

At her words, the woman behind her remained respectfully kneeling and answered.

“Your Highness, according to Ling Ying’s report, His Majesty should arrive here around noon today.”

When she finished speaking, the woman summoned a golden scroll from the storage ring on her finger. She then hurried forward and held it out to Liu Qing with both hands. Seeing that Liu Qing was still reading, the woman deliberately lowered her voice before speaking.

“This is the secret scroll Your Highness ordered me to retrieve from the capital some time ago. After I retrieved it, I informed His Majesty…”

Liu Qing’s lowered gaze flicked to the golden scroll in the woman’s hands. She waved her hand, and the woman understood, quickly stepping aside. She didn’t leave, but waited where she was.

“Qian Bing, have you ever studied medicine?”

At Liu Qing’s cold summons, the woman beside her looked flustered. All she could do was clasp her hands respectfully and bow.

“This subordinate is ashamed to say I know nothing of medicine… If Your Highness requires it, I’ll immediately find the Medicine Saint—Liu Qing—and ask them to help you…”

At her words, Liu Qing only gave a slight shake of her head, then set the book in her hands down on the stone table…