On the official road heading south from Longxi, an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage traveled at a leisurely pace. Driving it was a handsome young man with a gentle demeanor; he was Xiao Chengkang, the second son of Shen Yuewei and the second son of the Prince Jing's mansion, nicknamed Kang Kang. He wore a faded blue cloth robe, carrying a faint scent of herbs. His eyes were clear and peaceful, quite different from the martial prowess of the Lu family of the Northern Frontier and the noble air of the Prince Jing's mansion; he was more like a gentle breeze in a mountain stream, a bright moon in the forest.

Deeply influenced by his elder sister Xiao Yue (An An), Kang Kang became fascinated with medicine from a young age. By chance, he became the disciple of a reclusive master physician. After completing his studies, he did not return to the capital to enjoy wealth and status, but instead chose to travel the world, practicing medicine and helping the needy. He possessed superb medical skills and a kind heart, never charging the poor and doing his utmost to save those suffering from difficult and complicated illnesses. Along his journey, his reputation gradually grew, yet he remained humble and unassuming.

That day, the carriage traveled through a treacherous mountain valley. Suddenly, the sounds of fighting and a woman's screams came from ahead. Kang Kang frowned slightly and tightened the reins. Ahead, dust billowed, several masked men in black were attacking a dilapidated carriage. The driver lay dead in a pool of blood, and a young girl in coarse cloth was forced to the edge of a cliff, wounded, pale, and filled with despair.

Kang Kang's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he leaped off the carriage. His movements were as swift as lightning, and several silver needles silently shot towards the men in black. Although he was not known for his martial prowess, his skill in identifying acupoints and striking meridians was unparalleled. The silver needles accurately struck the vital points of the men in black's joints, instantly slowing their movements.

"Stop!" Kang Kang's clear voice rang out, carrying an undeniable pressure.

Seeing that the newcomer was exceptionally skilled, the men in black exchanged a glance and, without lingering in the fight, quickly fled into the mountains.

Kang Kang hurried to the edge of the cliff. The girl was already at her last gasp; seeing him approach, her tense nerves relaxed, her vision went black, and she collapsed. Kang Kang swiftly caught her, his hands finding her icy cold. The girl had a deep, bone-revealing knife wound on her left shoulder, blood staining her coarse cloth clothes, and her breath was weak.

Kang Kang immediately carried her back to his carriage and gently placed her in the cushioned interior. He quickly took out his medicine kit and deftly cleaned the wound, stopped the bleeding, applied medicine, and bandaged it. His expression was focused and calm, as if he were dealing with a very ordinary injury, with only the fine sweat on his forehead indicating the urgency of the situation.

After treating the wound, he fed the girl a pill to protect her heart. The girl slowly woke up, and what came into view was a handsome, gentle face filled with concern. She stared at him blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and vulnerability.

"How are you feeling, young lady?" Kang Kang asked gently, handing her the water pouch.

The girl drank a few sips of water from his hand before weakly speaking, her voice hoarse: "Thank you... thank you for saving my life..." She struggled to sit up and bow.

"No need for formalities, just lie down and don't move." Kang Kang gently pressed her uninjured right shoulder. "You're badly injured and need to rest. Where do you live? I'll take you home."

Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She stubbornly bit her lower lip, shook her head, and her voice choked with sobs: "I...I have no home anymore. Those people...are chasing me...I have nowhere to go..."

Looking at her pale face and the despair and stubbornness in her eyes, Kang Kang's heart softened. He had treated countless people and seen many lonely and helpless souls, but the brokenness in the eyes of this girl made it impossible for him to ignore her.

“In that case,” he pondered for a moment, then said gently, “you should stay with me and recover from your injuries. We’ll make further plans once you’re healed.”

An incredulous light flashed in the girl's eyes. Like a drowning person grabbing onto a piece of driftwood, she nodded vigorously, tears streaming silently down her face: "Thank... thank you, benefactor! My name is A Yuan... Yuan as in Yuan River."

Kang Kang nodded: "My name is Xiao Chengkang, you can just call me Kang Kang."

And so, a wounded woman named A Yuan joined Kang Kang's carriage. Kang Kang changed her dressings and prepared her medicine every day, taking meticulous care of her. A Yuan was very quiet; aside from necessary thanks, she rarely spoke, always silently watching Kang Kang's busy figure with her big, moist eyes.

A few days later, A-Yuan's injuries had healed, and she was able to walk again. Kang Kang thought that once she recovered, he should find her a place to stay. That day, he handed her a bag of silver: "Miss A-Yuan, your injuries are much better now. Take this silver, find a safe place to settle down, and do some small business..."

Before she could finish speaking, A Yuan shook her head violently, pushed the bag of silver back, raised her head, and looked straight at Kang Kang with her clear eyes, her expression more resolute than ever before: "My benefactor, I will not leave."

Kang Kang was taken aback: "Why?"

A Yuan's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice, though soft, was exceptionally clear: "My life was saved by my benefactor. Wherever my benefactor goes, I will go. I... I can help my benefactor with laundry, cooking, gathering herbs, and drying herbs! I... I eat very little, but I can do a lot of things!" She spoke eagerly, afraid that Kang Kang would refuse.

Kang Kang was both amused and exasperated: "Miss A Yuan, I travel around practicing medicine and have no fixed abode. It's common for me to live in the open and eat in the wind. It's very inconvenient for a young lady like you to follow me."

“I’m not afraid!” A-Yuan said immediately, her eyes sparkling. “My benefactor is a good person! With him, I’m not afraid of anywhere! And…” Her voice trailed off, tinged with a barely perceptible shyness, “My benefactor’s medical skills are so good, I also want… I want to learn some skills so I can save people in the future…”

Looking into her eyes, filled with pure trust and longing, Kang Kang hesitated, unable to utter the words of refusal. He sighed and shook his head helplessly: "Fine. If you want to come, then come. Just be prepared for a difficult journey, and don't regret it later."

"No regrets! Absolutely no regrets!" A-Yuan immediately perked up, her face beaming with a radiant smile, like the sunshine after a rainstorm, instantly dispelling the previous gloom. She quickly began packing, "My benefactor, I'll go dry the herbs! The sun is shining brightly today!"

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