Chapter 65: Memories

The carriage headed straight to the capital city. Si Qingyu didn’t know why she was going there, only that it was the sole place she was familiar with.

“Physician Si!”

As soon as Si Qingyu got off the carriage, an acquaintance recognized her. A woman with handsome features and a joyful expression walked towards her. She wore a gray robe with a large saber at her waist. “Physician Si, it’s been a long time. I thought I wouldn’t have the chance to see you again.”

Si Qingyu looked at her with slight confusion, clearly unable to recall who she was.

The woman laughed heartily, her frank laughter instantly likable. She patted her chest. “It’s me, Liu Dahe! When I first came to the capital severely injured, it was all thanks to you, Physician Si!”

Si Qingyu stared at her for a moment but still couldn’t recognize her. However, her accent did sound somewhat familiar. She politely nodded to her.

“Physician Si, I’ve been looking for you for many days. I came to the capital several times but couldn’t find you. I thought it wasn’t meant to be this time either, but it seems my luck is quite good,” Liu Dahe said with a chuckle, looking gleeful as if she had gotten a great bargain. It was hard not to laugh at her expression.

Hearing this, Si Qingyu was even more puzzled. “Looking for me?”

“Yes!” As Liu Dahe spoke, she reached into her clothes. She took out a bulging money pouch and thrust it into Si Qingyu’s hands without hesitation. “Physician Si, last time when you treated my wounds, you didn’t take any money from me. I said back then that I would repay you a hundredfold in the future!”

When someone helps you at your lowest and most painful moments, you must repay them well. This was what her mother had told her since she was young. Liu Dahe had always been one to repay kindness.

Si Qingyu looked at the money pouch, slightly stunned. She vaguely recalled something like this happening before, back when she had just opened her clinic not long ago. But how could she have the nerve to accept it after so long?

She pushed the money pouch back into Liu Dahe’s hands. With a faint smile, Si Qingyu said, “It’s been so long, you don’t need to keep it in mind. You should carefully keep the silver for yourself instead.”

“How can that be?” Liu Dahe widened her eyes, looking as if Si Qingyu was preventing her from repaying a debt of gratitude. She bounced the money pouch in her hand a couple of times. “Physician Si, please don’t think it’s too little. I earned this by robbing quite a few escort companies. There’s even a piece of gold leaf inside!” She made to open the pouch to show her.

Si Qingyu quickly stopped her. “That’s not what I meant. I truly don’t need it. Plus, I can’t accept something you earned through such hardship. I appreciate your kind intentions, but you should keep the silver.”

Since coming to this world, she had never lacked money. The place she used to live with Mother Si was so remote it seemed cut off from the world. She rarely needed to use silver. And after opening her clinic, it went without saying.

The woman silently looked at the money pouch. She seemed not to have expected Si Qingyu to refuse. Her heroic brows furrowed in worry.

It was as if something she anticipated had changed, and she didn’t know how to react for a moment.

Seeing her unsmiling, Si Qingyu felt that if she didn’t agree, the woman might worry for a whole day. Her gaze unintentionally shifted to the tavern behind Liu Dahe. She hesitantly spoke, “How about this – if you don’t mind, why don’t you treat me to a seat at the tavern?” This way there would be no need to dwell on it, right?

The woman’s worried face instantly lit up. She laughed again, habitually patting the saber at her waist. “That works too!”

The two of them entered the second floor of the tavern and sat by a window. The woman enthusiastically recommended the signature dishes to her, looking so generous it seemed she wanted to buy the whole tavern.

Si Qingyu smiled at her and took a sip of hot tea. Her eyes lost focus as she gazed out the window at the lively street, her thoughts drifting far away again.

Liu Dahe didn’t seem to notice her absentmindedness. She animatedly told her interesting tales from the martial world and how she robbed escorts, laughing heartily as she spoke.

She didn’t notice at all that the woman across from her was no longer mentally present.

Si Qingyu’s gaze fell upon a purple-robed man on the street. For a moment, she imagined the man’s face morphing into his, her eyes forgetting to look away.

The purple-robed man, who was selecting jewelry at a stall, seemed to feel her gaze. He looked up in puzzlement and saw a transcendently elegant and beautiful woman staring unwaveringly at him. His face instantly flushed red.

He was still picking out jewelry, but with burning red ears, his mind was no longer on the jewelry at all.

From time to time, he couldn’t help sneaking glances up at the second floor window. But the woman had already turned away, no longer paying attention to him. Disappointment welled up in the man’s heart. He lowered his head, no longer finding the exquisite jewelry before him the least bit interesting.

……

After leaving the tavern, Liu Dahe wanted to invite Si Qingyu to a brothel to have some fun. Si Qingyu was speechless – how could she agree to that?

She firmly refused, but in Liu Dahe’s view, Si Qingyu was just being shy. She insisted on dragging her there. Left with no choice, Si Qingyu had to say she was already married to dispel the notion from Liu Dahe’s mind.

“Alright then! I didn’t expect Physician Si to already have a husband. In that case, I won’t force the matter.” Liu Dahe cupped her hands towards Si Qingyu. “If Physician Si ever encounters any difficulties in the future, just come find me at the escort agency. As long as it’s Physician Si’s business, I, Liu, will do everything in my power to help!”

Such a forthright woman was sure to increase one’s good impression of her. Si Qingyu finally showed a genuine smile and nodded in thanks.

After parting ways with Liu Dahe, Si Qingyu walked aimlessly along the streets. By the time she came back to her senses, she had already arrived at the shores of Clear Lake in the capital.

This place looked the same as it had two years ago, except for some saplings planted by the lakeside. Nothing else had changed.

Si Qingyu slowly walked to the large willow tree and gazed out at the lake. The autumn dusk after sunset carried a hint of chill. The setting sun’s afterglow shimmered on the lake’s surface as if gilded with a layer of gold, crystal clear.

The scene before her eyes seemed to continuously rewind until it stopped at the first time Si Qingyu had lingered by the lake.

Back then, she had also stood under this willow tree, a trace of melancholy in her brows due to her low spirits.

There was no shortage of pleasure boats passing by on the lake. Si Qingyu ignored the coquettish glances thrown her way by some young masters and the handkerchiefs deliberately tossed to her as they steered their boats closer.

Until her gaze was coincidentally drawn to a luxurious pleasure boat. What attracted her wasn’t the boat’s exquisite design and decor, but the peerlessly handsome man standing at the bow, his eyes meeting hers.

At that time, Si Qingyu had thought that even after living two lifetimes, she had never seen such a good-looking man.

Like a fiend stepped out of a painting, able to enchant a person’s soul in an instant, willing to offer up everything for him.

Si Qingyu had originally thought it was just a moment of captivation, a fleeting fancy. But she never expected that due to this one glance, she would be destined to be entangled with him for a lifetime.

“Physician Si?”

Just as Si Qingyu was immersed in her memories, a gentle and pleasant voice came from behind her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Si Qingyu turned around in a daze, looking at the person with slight surprise. “Prince Jiang?”

Seeing her turn around, Jiang Yizheng’s lips curved into a tender smile. His eyes held a soft light as he looked at her, tilting his head with a grin. “I thought I had seen wrong at the tavern just now.” He walked over to her with elegant steps, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at her. “I never thought I would see Physician Si here. No regrets now…”

He spoke the last few words extremely softly. Si Qingyu didn’t hear them clearly. She greeted him with a faint smile. “I also didn’t expect to run into Prince Jiang here.”

“No, I followed Physician Si all the way here from the tavern.” As Jiang Yizheng spoke, he even winked at her mischievously, a cute contrast to his gentle and handsome face.

Si Qingyu didn’t know how to respond, feeling a bit awkward. She nodded and shifted her gaze back to the lake’s surface.

Jiang Yizheng walked up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her, following her line of sight to the lake. After a moment of silence, he slowly asked, “Has Physician Si been well lately?”

How was she supposed to answer that? Si Qingyu didn’t want to talk about what had happened between the two of them. She could only nod.

If she ignored the events of the past two days, she had indeed been doing very well.

Jiang Yizheng turned his head to tenderly gaze at the woman’s profile, his eyes holding an affection that was hard to detect. He pursed his lips, suppressing the bitterness. “I heard that Lord Luo hasn’t returned to the Luo estate for many days now. I suppose… he has been together with Physician Si?”

He had gone to the Luo estate a few times but was told each time that Luo Shaoxuan was not present.

“Mm.” Si Qingyu still nodded, her cool eyes not revealing a single ripple of emotion.

Disappointment flashed through Jiang Yizheng’s eyes. He shifted his gaze away from the woman and looked up slightly at the setting sun, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile. He softly said, “Sometimes I truly envy Lord Luo. He dares to love and hate. Even though as a man he faces many restrictions, he never cares about the eyes of the world and boldly pursues the one he loves.”

Having said that, the man lowered his gaze, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. He gave a bitter smile. “As for me, being part of the imperial family, I’ve never even had a sliver of a chance to pursue my desires. Everything has been arranged for me since birth.”

The man’s self-deprecating and sorrowful emotions finally caused Si Qingyu to shift her gaze to him. Seeing the tears in the corners of his eyes, she couldn’t help but ask in puzzlement, “What’s… wrong with you?”

Jiang Yizheng shook his head faintly and turned to look at her, their eyes meeting. He suddenly chuckled softly, “Physician Si finally looked at me. It’s really not easy to get your attention.”

“…” Si Qingyu was a bit speechless and almost couldn’t resist the inelegant urge to roll her eyes. She glanced up at the sky; the setting sun was about to fully disappear. “It’s getting dark. Isn’t Prince Jiang going to return to the palace?”

Instead, she saw the man shake his head with a gentle smile, his gaze fixed on her.

Si Qingyu couldn’t help but touch her own face. Could it be that there was something on it? Being stared at like this made her feel somewhat awkward.

Si Qingyu cleared her throat. “If Prince Jiang has nothing else, I’ll take my leave first.”

“Wait!” Just as Si Qingyu turned around, Jiang Yizheng called out to stop her. The man pursed his lips and untied a fragrance sachet from his waist, handing it to her. His eyes sparkled like a bright moon. “Would you accept this?”

Si Qingyu furrowed her brows and glanced at the fragrance sachet embroidered with golden thread in his hand. Even if her head was dull, she knew that a man’s personal item should not be casually accepted. A hint of coldness couldn’t help but tinge her expression. “Prince Jiang, this is probably inappropriate.”

The man’s gaze, brimming with a trace of anticipation, slowly dimmed. After a moment of silence, he withdrew the fragrance sachet. Lifting his eyes, he once again showed the woman a smile, but in the last glow of the setting sun, it inexplicably carried a tinge of desolation. “I was just joking with Physician Si. If Physician Si has matters to attend to, please leave first.”

“Mm.” Si Qingyu took one last look at him before turning to leave.

Until the woman’s figure disappeared, Jiang Yizheng lowered his gaze to the fragrance sachet in his hand, murmuring softly, “I’m afraid… there won’t be another chance to see her again.”

The last glimmer of the setting sun’s afterglow vanished from the horizon. The cool autumn night breeze sent the willow leaves fluttering. The man’s tall, slender figure under the willow tree appeared exceptionally lonely.