The man nodded timidly. He hesitated and took another look. The strong odor and the sight made him feel a bit nauseous. He hurriedly covered his mouth and walked out of the room.

The people in the room didn’t pay attention to the man’s unusual behavior. Zhao Sixi watched on the side, her heart pounding. She had never seen wounds treated like this. It was truly a bit frightening, “Doctor Si, will Third Aunt…”

Si Qingyu threw the dagger into the water basin and washed her hands clean before wiping them dry. She shook her head, “It’s not to the point of dying, but I can’t guarantee there won’t be sequelae.” She evenly applied medicinal powder to the wound and then wrapped it with cloth bandages.

After finishing everything, Si Qingyu wiped the fine sweat from her face and put the medicine bottle back into her medical bag, “If she can’t rest well, she may have trouble walking in the future.”

“How can this be…”

The doctor, with bandages wrapped around her hands, heard the voice and looked up.

The man stood at the doorway, his eyes red and swollen from crying. He seemed to have been hit hard, leaning against the doorframe, looking like he was about to collapse, “The fields at home all rely on her to tend. If she can’t even walk, what should we do?” He walked towards Si Qingyu and knelt on the ground, crying and grabbing Si Qingyu’s robe, “Doctor Si, please have mercy. You must cure my wife…”

Si Qingyu frowned and glanced at him coldly. She only felt his words were unpleasant. At this time, shouldn’t he be more concerned about how the person was doing? How could he be worrying about whether she could work in the future?

She coldly pulled her robe out of his hand and put the bandages into her medical bag. She picked up the bag and looked at the person on the ground indifferently, “I said the sequelae will depend on the future condition and recuperation. Remember not to eat greasy food. Whether she can fully recover will depend on her fate.”

As Si Qingyu was about to walk out the door with her medical bag, she finally looked at Zhao Sixi, who had been standing in a daze on the side, “When we return to the clinic later, I’ll pick out a few more prescriptions for you. You can bring them back then.”

“Ah?” Zhao Sixi stood on the side, staring blankly at Third Aunt’s injured leg on the bed. For a moment, she didn’t react, “Got it, Doctor Si. Are you going back now?”

“Mm.”

“Then Doctor Si, can you wait for me outside? I’ll go back with you in a bit.”

“Alright.”

Si Qingyu nodded in agreement and walked out of the thatched hut. She took a deep breath. The odor inside was strong and stuffy. Now that she was outside, it felt much more comfortable.

But before she could take a few more breaths of fresh air, the villagers around her gathered, looking simple and curious.

“Doctor Si, how is it inside? Is it cured?” a villager asked, eyes shining.

The other villagers also chimed in with curious looks.

Si Qingyu was a bit speechless. She wasn’t a divine being who could cure someone just by saying so, “I think if you’re curious, you can come and take a look in a few days. You don’t need to ask me.”

Seeing that they couldn’t talk more, the villagers looked disappointed and let out an embarrassed laugh, making way for her.

Si Qingyu nodded to them with a faint smile and passed through them to the fields. She took a deep breath. Looking at the rice fields made one feel visually relaxed. The air here was really good.

While waiting for Zhao Sixi, Si Qingyu walked along the fields to the other side of the rice paddies, where there was shade from the trees. She put her medical bag on the ground and sat directly under a tree. She stretched out lazily.

Mm, it had been a while since she had been this relaxed.

Si Qingyu casually plucked a rice straw beside her and threw it into the field, but the straw floated lightly and fell at her feet. She laughed lightly, then picked up a stone at her feet and threw it towards the rice field.

“Do-Doctor Si?”

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside her. Si Qingyu turned her head and looked up, seeing a young boy with a flushed face and slightly dark skin, holding a bowl of clear water in his hands.

Si Qingyu looked at the shy and flustered boy in puzzlement and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The boy lowered his head, not daring to look directly at her. He held out the clear water in front of her with both hands, his voice thin, “My mother said she was afraid Doctor Si would be thirsty and told me to bring you a bowl of water.”

“Thank you, but I’m not thirsty. You can take it back.”

“But, but now the sun is strong. If you don’t drink water…” The boy’s head was lowered, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, “If you don’t drink, you’ll be thirsty later.”

He still stood there straight, his posture unchanged.

Si Qingyu pursed her lips and took the bowl from his hands, drinking it in one gulp. She casually wiped her mouth and returned the bowl to the boy’s hands, “Thank you.”

“Mm…” Only then did the boy raise his head, his shy deer-like eyes blinking as he looked at her.

Si Qingyu had a feeling she had seen him somewhere before. Where was it? She bent her index finger and rubbed her temple. She couldn’t remember.

Seeing that the boy was still standing there and hadn’t left, Si Qingyu picked up her medical bag beside her and stood up, looking at him indifferently and asking, “Is there anything else?”

The boy’s face, which had been flushed, instantly turned pale. He stiffly shook his head.

Si Qingyu nodded to him, “Do you know where there is a place to wash hands?”

The boy pointed to the woods behind her, “There’s a small stream past this small forest… It’s very close. I’ll take you there.”

Si Qingyu shook her head, indicating she would go herself. She didn’t pay attention to the disappointed look on the boy’s face behind her and walked towards her right.

Sure enough, after passing through the small forest behind, she saw a small stream surrounded by the woods. The sunlight reflected off the surface of the water, crystal clear to the bottom. Si Qingyu’s lips curved up in a delighted smile. She rolled up her sleeves, squatted down, and splashed the stream water on her arms. The cool feeling made her feel more energized.

She also took the opportunity to wash her face with the stream water. She stood up and was about to wipe her face with a handkerchief when she noticed a shadow on the ground. A sense of danger came over her. She dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a chopping hand.

Si Qingyu narrowed her eyes and looked at the person dressed in black, her hand quietly reaching into her sleeve, “Who are you people? Why are you chasing me relentlessly like this?”

The person in black didn’t answer her question. With a movement of both hands, they tried to capture her. Si Qingyu took out a powder and dodged the hand reaching for her neck. She raised her hand to throw it at the person in black. Suddenly, she felt a pain in the back of her neck, and Si Qingyu softly collapsed.

The black-clothed person who attacked Si Qingyu lifted her onto their shoulder. They exchanged a glance with the other black-clothed person and left the scene, leaving only a medicine bag by the stream.

……

In the village, Zhao Sixi had just finished comforting her uncle and gave him a few taels of silver before leaving the thatched hut.

However, she didn’t see Si Qingyu outside. Zhao Sixi scratched her head. Didn’t Doctor Si say to wait for her to return to the clinic together? Where was she?

She walked to the edge of the rice field and looked around, still not seeing anyone. Could it be that Doctor Si had already returned to the clinic? Zhao Sixi pouted. Why didn’t she say something before leaving? Could it be that she had kept Doctor Si waiting too long?

She searched the fields and the woods, and only left the village after confirming no one was there.

Zhao Sixi thought that Doctor Si must have been angry that she had kept her waiting too long just now, so she had left her behind and gone back first. But when she returned to the clinic out of breath and covered in sweat, she still didn’t see any sign of Si Qingyu.

Where was she?

Where did Doctor Si go?

“Doctor Si!!” She turned around the clinic in a fluster and sat on a stool on the side. Could it be that the villagers had invited Doctor Si into a house back in the village? The more Zhao Sixi thought about it, the more she felt it was possible. She breathed a sigh of relief and poured herself a cup of tea. Running back just now had really exhausted her.

Doctor Si had also said to prepare medicine for her Third Aunt.

“Mm, I’ll get the medicine ready and wait for Doctor Si to come back before giving it to her.” Zhao Sixi muttered to herself, then nodded and walked towards the medicine cabinet.

……

When Si Qingyu woke up, she only felt a soreness in the back of her neck. “Hiss,” she rubbed the back of her neck as she lay on the damp ground. Before she could even open her eyes, a damp, sour, and smelly odor assaulted her nose. She covered her mouth and nose and coughed violently.

Even her eyes felt irritated and sore. Si Qingyu slowly opened her eyes, squinting.

Was this a dungeon?

Si Qingyu slowly sat up, propping herself up with one hand. It was dark all around, and some parts of the floor and walls had started to grow mold due to the dampness, emitting a musty and sour smell.

And she was now locked in a cell. Si Qingyu stood up, slightly unsteady, and walked to the front of the cell, looking outside, but there was nothing. The entire dungeon was so quiet, as if she was the only person left in the world.

Si Qingyu frowned, covering her chest. She felt this place was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

She walked to a corner and sat down. Although Si Qingyu had no idea why those people had locked her up here, she really wanted to see the mastermind behind it. Could it be that they had some misunderstanding about her to chase her so relentlessly?

Si Qingyu sighed and slightly pulled her collar closer. This dungeon was cold and damp. If a normal person stayed here for a few days, they would probably catch a chill.

She hugged her knees and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to think of a plan. But from the current situation, the only possibility seemed to be meeting this mastermind.

……

In the tavern of the town, Luo Shaoxuan impatiently tapped on the table.

Why hadn’t Ziliang come to find him yet?

It was already the You hour (5-7pm). He still wanted to have dinner with her soon. Could she have forgotten? If so, he would definitely have to give her some punishment, Luo Shaoxuan thought unhappily.

But for some reason…

Luo Shaoxuan lightly stroked his chest. The uneasiness in his heart was growing stronger. With an irritated look, he waved his sleeve, sweeping the tea set on the table to the ground, and stormed out the door with a cold face.

Meanwhile, at the clinic, Zhao Sixi was currently leaning on the medicine cabinet with her chin propped on her hands, staring at the door, sighing from time to time, “Sigh… why hasn’t Doctor Si come back yet? The sun is about to set.”

Zhao Sixi lay on the cabinet, looking listless.

Suddenly, she felt someone walking in from the door. Zhao Sixi looked up in delight, “Doctor S-” Before she could finish calling out, she looked up and saw Luo Shaoxuan’s cold face covered in gloom.

Zhao Sixi’s body trembled. She looked at him with a dry smile, “Oh, it-it’s Mister Luo…”

Luo Shaoxuan swept his gaze around the clinic and didn’t see the person he wanted to see. His eyes looked at Zhao Sixi darkly, his voice seemingly able to freeze someone, “Where is she?”

“Do-Doctor Si didn’t come back with me…” Zhao Sixi’s voice was trembling.

“What?” Luo Shaoxuan narrowed his phoenix eyes and looked at her dangerously, his face growing even more terrifying. He enunciated each word, “You said she didn’t come back with you?”

Zhao Sixi was on the verge of tears. This Mister Luo was truly frightening, “I didn’t see Doctor Si in the village. I thought Doctor Si had returned first, so I only realized Doctor Si wasn’t here after I ran back…”

Luo Shaoxuan clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the urge to snap her neck. He gritted his teeth, a flash of scarlet passing through his eyes, “Then why didn’t you come inform me?”

“I… I thought Doctor Si had been invited into a house by the villagers, so I didn’t see her. I was planning to wait for her at the clinic…” Seeing the man’s face becoming even more terrifying, Zhao Sixi lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

“If Ziliang didn’t value you…” Luo Shaoxuan looked at her with a cold gaze. He didn’t finish his words, just coldly snorted and left with a swish of his sleeves.

After Luo Shaoxuan disappeared from the doorway, Zhao Sixi directly collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Her whole body was trembling and covered in cold sweat. Just now, just now she really thought Mister Luo was going to kill her.