Volume One, Chapter 33: Hosting the Banquet

"Master, please calm your anger. It is not worth damaging your health over this."

The old butler spoke in a soft, cautious tone. Wang Defa snatched the teacup away, downed it in one gulp as if it were liquor, and then slammed the thick porcelain bowl onto the only remaining half of the table with a loud crash.

The blue-and-white porcelain shattered upon impact.

"Anger? I am so damn furious I feel like my lungs are about to explode!"

He roared, his chest heaving violently, like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

The old butler sighed deeply, a flicker of calculation crossing his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke in a whisper, "Master, since we cannot find the high-and-mighty doctors in the city, perhaps... we could try the unconventional path outside the city walls."

"Unconventional path?" Wang Defa’s brows knitted together, and he glared at the butler with a fierce gaze.

"Yes."

The butler bowed, lowering his voice further, as if sharing a profound secret. "I sent people to scout around, and they brought back some very interesting news."

"Speak," Wang Defa said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Do you remember the young lady of the Liu family?" the butler asked, leading him on. "The one who suffered from the 'Cold Marrow Affliction' and was declared beyond saving by every doctor in the city—Liu Yuexue?"

A look of contemplation crossed Wang Defa’s rugged face, and he nodded. "I have a vague memory of her. A sickly girl on the verge of death—what about her?"

A sharp glint, barely perceptible, flashed in the butler’s eyes. "Just a few days ago, the Liu family suddenly announced that the young lady's illness... is cured."

"What?!"

Wang Defa sprang from his grand chair as if pricked by a needle, his face, covered in coarse flesh, etched with disbelief. "Cured? Isn't that an incurable disease that even the gods couldn't heal?"

"It is absolutely true," the butler said with unwavering certainty, a hint of expectation for a reward in his tone. "It is said that the head of the Liu family, Liu Chengye, invited a young wandering miracle doctor from somewhere. That doctor took less than an hour to drag the young lady back from the gates of hell! Now, she can walk about, no different from any ordinary person."

The butler added, "This news has already spread among the wealthy merchants in the city, but because the Liu family has been suppressing the word, it hasn't caused a massive stir."

"A wandering miracle doctor?!" Wang Defa’s eyes erupted with a terrifying brightness, like a drowning man clutching at a final straw. "Where is he?! Quick! Take men and bring him to me at once!"

"Master, please calm down!" The butler bowed quickly to dissuade him. "This miracle doctor is currently a guest of honor at the Liu mansion, protected by layers of security. If we storm the mansion to seize him, we will likely offend the Liu family, and the losses will outweigh the gains."

"The Liu family?" Wang Defa scoffed with disdain. "No matter how much money Liu Chengye has, is he faster than my blade?"

"Master," the butler reasoned earnestly, "force is the worst policy. Since we are asking for medical treatment, why not try courtesy before force? Liu Chengye loves his daughter more than his own life; if we offer a heavy reward and show humility, he will surely give us some face."

Wang Defa paced the study, his heavy breathing audible in the silent room. Though he was a brute, he was not entirely stupid. The butler was right. Saving his son’s leg was the priority, and creating unnecessary trouble would be unwise.

"Fine!" He slapped his thigh, having made up his mind. "Prepare a generous gift! At daybreak, I will personally visit the Liu mansion!"

His eyes flickered with a wolf-like ferocity. "I want to see what kind of person dares to play tricks here in my Yun’an City! Whoever he is, as long as he can cure my son’s leg, I can pay in mountains of gold and silver! But if he fails..."

He did not finish his sentence, but the cold, bone-chilling tone made the entire study feel as though it had dropped to the freezing point.

...

Meanwhile, at the Liu mansion, in Yuexue’s boudoir.

When Su Qingxue found Liu Yuexue, her cousin was resting her chin in her hands by the window, gazing at the moon in a daze, a faint flush still lingering on her small face.

"Yuexue," Su Qingxue called out softly.

"Ah! Cousin!"

Liu Yuexue jumped up from her chair like a startled rabbit. Seeing it was Su Qingxue, she patted her chest, then her bright, large eyes darted around with a mischievous glint as she leaned in.

"Cousin, are you and Master Ye... finished?"

A rare trace of awkwardness appeared on Su Qingxue’s cool, refined face. She nodded. "Oh, what are you thinking? It was just a misunderstanding!"

"Was it really a misunderstanding?" Liu Yuexue blinked her innocent eyes, pursuing the matter curiously. "I don’t think so..."

She tugged at Su Qingxue’s sleeve, pulling her to sit on the edge of the bed, and sat close to her. She whispered, with infinite longing, "Cousin, tell me honestly... what does... what does kissing actually feel like?"

Su Qingxue: "..."

"The storybooks say it’s like eating the sweetest honey in the world, enough to make one’s heart melt," Liu Yuexue said with earnest academic curiosity. "And that your heart beats faster, your face turns red, your ears burn, and your whole body goes weak... Cousin, was that the feeling you had just now?"

Watching her cousin’s "I am conducting serious academic research" expression, Su Qingxue felt a surge of blood to her head, barely maintaining her cool and detached persona.

She took a deep breath and squeezed a few words through her teeth: "What kind of rubbish books are you reading!"

"They aren't rubbish!" Liu Yuexue pouted indignantly. "I spent several coins and asked Xiao Huan to buy those secretly!"

Su Qingxue covered her forehead, feeling a sense of helplessness. Her cousin had been protected so well by the Liu family that she was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Seeing that her usually cold and self-composed cousin was truly on the verge of breaking, Liu Yuexue finally giggled and stopped teasing. She took Su Qingxue’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder, her tone turning solemn and expectant.

"Cousin, let’s talk business. Father says that to celebrate my recovery and to formally introduce me to the uncles and elders of Yun’an City, the mansion will host a banquet in two days. He’s inviting everyone of standing."

Liu Yuexue’s voice lowered, carrying a trace of imperceptible nervousness. "That will be my... first time appearing formally in front of so many people. I... I’m a bit nervous."

She looked up at Su Qingxue with an almost pleading gaze. "Cousin, you are the most talented lady in the capital; you have seen so much more of the world than I have. Could you... could you stay and accompany me? With you by my side, I would feel at ease."

Su Qingxue’s heart trembled at these words. Looking at her cousin’s eyes full of dependence and hope, she found it difficult to utter a refusal. She hesitated.

A moment later, she sighed softly and said with a complicated expression, "Yuexue, I’m afraid... it isn't very convenient."

To keep Liu Yuexue from overthinking, Su Qingxue used today's incident on the street as an excuse. "...That Wang Defa is a notorious local tyrant in Yun’an City, a man who bears grudges. His son has a broken leg, and he will certainly not let this rest. He has now sealed off the city and is conducting a massive search. To avoid implicating the Liu family, Ye Qianyuan and I... have decided to leave Yun’an City tonight."

The smile on Liu Yuexue’s face froze bit by bit. Her once sparkling eyes dimmed instantly, as if covered by a layer of mist.

"Leaving... tonight?" Her voice was filled with deep disappointment and reluctance. "So soon..."

"I'm sorry, Yuexue." Su Qingxue felt a pang of pity and gently patted her hand.

Liu Yuexue lowered her head, her long lashes trembling slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes. The room fell into silence, save for the faint, sporadic chirping of insects from outside the window.