Chapter 63 - 63 He is a bit jealous of Zhao Xiyan.
Chapter 63: Chapter 63 He is a bit jealous of Zhao Xiyan.
The book says that at the junction of Nanyue, Beiyuan, and Western Chu, there is an extremely mysterious forest constantly shrouded in white fog that kills people.
Any creature that approaches it, whether human or beast, gets killed, except for a strange creature called the White Rhino.
The White Rhino is all white and has four horns on its head, allowing it to move in and out of the white fog without harm.
Qi Yue, following the map, found this place and discovered it was actually at the westernmost end of Longnan Ridge.
She concluded that the mysterious white fog was miasma, and about the creature’s four horns, she thought they differed from those of the current White Rhino.
However, after thinking it over, she felt that the four horns might have been a mistake in transmission.
After all, it’s common for recorders not to see such mysterious creatures clearly, or perhaps they exaggerated for the sake of myth.
Regardless of whether it has four horns or two, she planned to see it with her own eyes to confirm if it had the medicinal value she needed.
But crossing Longnan Ridge to its far west side was not an easy task.
Firstly, her movements were restricted; the surveillance office checked the exiled personnel irregularly every month, and if any household was missing a person, the entire family would be taken out for disposal.
Furthermore, Longnan Ridge was vast, spanning thousands of miles, and if unfamiliar, one might enter and never come out again.
This was also why the natives thrived here while Beiyuan could do nothing about it.
After considering all, Qi Yue could only familiarize herself with the terrain of Longnan Ridge and wait for the right opportunity.”
With this plan in mind, Qi Yue entered the depths of Longnan Ridge more frequently.
She used the excuse of gathering herbs to step by step explore this primeval forest known as Longnan Ridge.
One day, just as she emerged from the dense forest, she saw Qu Wei in white clothes leaning against a tree, eagerly watching her approach, as if waiting for someone.
Qi Yue didn’t want to deal with this person and turned her steps to the side.
But Qu Wei followed like a ghost.
“Miss Qi Yue! Miss Qi Yue! I heard that you are highly skilled in medicine and even run a pharmacy, can you treat patients?”
“What for?”
Without turning her head, Qi Yue continued walking while Qu Wei kept close behind.
“I’ve come to you for treatment!”
Upon hearing this, Qi Yue finally stopped.
She turned around and carefully sized up Qu Wei.
This person had slender fingers, yet the middle finger bore a small callus, a feature of someone who often holds a pen.
Qi Yue thought to herself that he must be some minor official, a clerk perhaps; such people could be somewhat useful, and it wouldn’t hurt to make use of him.
“I don’t treat just any illness here. Whether I’ll treat, how I’ll treat, what the consultation fee will be, I decide all of that—knowing this, you still seek treatment from me?”
Qu Wei’s lips, bearing a mocking smile, stretched even wider.
“I see, I don’t just seek treatment from any doctor either.”
“Fine, then follow me back to get the medicine!”
Qi Yue said, leading the way.
At this time, she didn’t need to risk being discovered by taking out medicine onsite.
“Get medicine?” Qu Wei seemed surprised, “You haven’t even seen the illness yet, and you’re already prescribing medication?”
“I’ve seen it.”
Qi Yue continued forward unbothered, with Qu Wei not missing a step behind.
“When did you see it?”
Qi Yue didn’t want to play this question-and-answer game with him, staying silent and simply moving forward.
It wouldn’t be excessive for Qu Wei, who advised the natives, to ask him for a map of the vast forest of Longnan Ridge, would it?
“Miss Qi Yue, when did you treat me?”
Qu Wei continued to chatter behind her, but Qi Yue had already left the forest and was outside the yard fence.
She saw Zhao Xiyan sitting in a wheelchair, holding the crossbow she had given him, shooting arrows at a target ahead.
He had just fired his last arrow and was now placing the crossbow on his lap, rolling his wheelchair to retrieve the target.
The target was slightly high; he removed several arrows, but the remaining one was out of reach.
He propped himself up with one hand on the wheelchair while reaching for the arrow with the other.
He had taken down his last arrow, but in doing so, fell from his wheelchair.
His hair became instantly disheveled, and his hands and clothes were stained with bits of grass and dirt.
He didn’t cry out in pain, but his handsome brows knitted tightly together as he endured.
Qi Yue knew his fall was not light, but at this moment, she could not go in to help him no matter what.
Zhao Xiyan was fiercely proud, and ever since he had been confined to a wheelchair, he refused any help with his actions.
A few days ago, he fell in the bathroom, and Zhao Yonglian rushed in to assist him, resulting in Zhao Xiyan being angry for three days.
It was only after Shen Yu’s persuasion that he calmed down, but the whole family had since promised to not recklessly intervene, allowing him to adapt to an independent life.
Qi Yue silently stopped, hiding herself behind the flowers and shrubs outside the fence, waiting for Zhao Xiyan to sit back in his wheelchair and get himself together.
But she had forgotten about Qu Wei behind her.
By the time she realized, Qu Wei was already walking toward the courtyard.
“Ah, this must be the young War God of Beiyuan!—Ah, how did you fall down… let me give you a hand!”
Zhao Xiyan’s face quickly paled, a look of indignation appeared on his stunningly beautiful face, but it vanished soon after.
Qi Yue rushed over in a few strides and pushed Qu Wei away.
“Step back, my husband is practicing how to use the strength of his arms, he doesn’t need your help!”
Upon hearing this, Qu Wei immediately realized, nodding affirmatively, “Oh, no wonder you saw him fall earlier but didn’t come in; you were waiting for him to get up by himself!”
He smiled, bowing slightly, his face apologetic, “If that’s the case, then I was indeed presumptuous.”
Qi Yue frowned.
Qu Wei’s few seemingly casual remarks not only undermined Zhao Xiyan but also implied that she had seen everything, a strong whiff of insincerity.
This man was certainly no good.
As for the map of the Longnan Ridge forest, she would have to find another way.
With this thought, she snorted coldly, stepped in front of Zhao Xiyan, not wanting him to be the subject of ridicule.
“You may leave, your condition is very serious, and I cannot treat it!”
“Cannot treat it?” Qu Wei’s sharp face revealed a teasing smile, “Isn’t it Miss Qi who called me here to get medicine?”
He never believed Qi Yue could cure his condition.
It was just that for the first time in many years someone had intrigued him, and he had wanted to have a bit of fun.
“Yes, I did say to come for medicine,” Qi Yue quirked an eyebrow lightly, “but it was for something to suppress your headaches, yet it seems your condition has spread to your whole body. Not only is your brain failing, but your whole being has deteriorated. Thus, I cannot treat you.”
Qu Wei knew Qi Yue was angry about his earlier actions, but he couldn’t focus on making amends as he was shocked by her words.
“You didn’t examine me, how do you know I have headaches?”
Qi Yue smirked coldly.
“I not only know about your headaches, I also know that this condition strikes you on the fifteenth of each month, making your life unbearable. Each time, you are prostrate on the ground, like a dying dog.”
Qu Wei staggered back a step, his previous suavity vanishing, the mocking smile at his lips turning to fear.
“…How…how do you know?”
He had suffered from these headaches for many years.
It was because of this condition that he had to lie low here, receiving treatment regularly every month.
But how did Qi Yue know so clearly?
“There are three types of illness in the world: one that skims the surface, one that delves into the viscera, and one that roots itself in the marrow. Your illness lies in the cerebral nerve, the hardest to cure. I am, after all, a physician, and it was not strange for me to see at a glance.”
“So, you had already seen it last time?”
Qi Yue didn’t respond to his question, subtly curling her lips, “Please leave my home, I need to discuss today’s training results with my husband, and can’t entertain you.”
By this time, Zhao Xiyan had already returned to his wheelchair, regaining his noble, almost ethereal demeanor.
Qu Wei clenched the fan in his hands, a peculiar thought rising in his mind.
He felt somewhat jealous of Zhao Xiyan.
Despite his paralysis, he still had Qi Yue’s unwavering support, even carefully guarding his fragile pride.
Qu Wei’s mouth twitched, he wanted to speak but couldn’t find his usual self-perceived charm.
Finally, he remained silent, flipped around, and walked away.