Zhuzhu didn't expect him to say that. She had only meant to tease him, but he directly revealed his feelings, which was quite unlike him.

When he said that, she didn't respond. She opened her mouth, then looked down at her hand that he was holding.

He used to be so restrained, but now he's become much bolder.

"Zhuzhu, as long as you're willing to help me recover, I'll listen to you from now on, okay?" Chengcheng said softly again.

“My patients seem to listen to me quite well.” Zhuzhu raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Okay, from now on I'll be your patient, so you'll have to take good care of my health," Chengcheng said with a smile.

He first became her patient, and the more he interacted with her, the more excuses he had to visit her, talk to her, take her home, and have meals with her.

Zhu Zhu looked at his secretly happy expression, smiled faintly, and sighed inwardly. This silly fool, even though the atmosphere had reached this point, all he wanted was to be her patient.

Is this a plan to proceed gradually?

Well, since my parents won't be back until next summer anyway, I'll just spend time with him and let things develop gradually!

After escorting Zhuzhu to the main gate of the Li residence, Chengcheng watched as Zhuzhu was taken inside by her guards and maids. Only after the gates of the Li residence closed did he take a carriage back to his own residence.

He felt a little melancholy, wondering when he would finally be able to marry Zhuzhu!

The next day, Chengcheng arrived at the Imperial Hospital early, determined to be Zhuzhu's first patient of the day and have her diagnose her and prescribe medicine.

It happened to be the day Zhuzhu was seeing patients. When Zhuzhu saw him, her lips twitched. She took his pulse, wrote a prescription, and told him to take the prescription to the Imperial Hospital's pharmacy to pick up the medicine.

After Chengcheng handed the prescription to his attendant Yuhai to fetch the medicine, he took the food box from another attendant, placed it in front of Zhuzhu, and said with a smile, "Zhuzhu, I bought you some steamed buns from Meiweizhai when I passed by. There are no patients now, so eat them while they're hot!"

Zhuzhu loves the steamed buns from that restaurant; the two of them have eaten there a few times before.

Seeing that there was no one queuing up for medical treatment, Zhuzhu took him to eat in the small hall next door.

Zhu Zhu opened it and saw that the amount inside was enough for two people, so she knew he hadn't eaten either.

He even thoughtfully brought vinegar. Zhuzhu arranged it, placed a small plate and a pair of chopsticks in front of him, and gave him a little vinegar. "Eat up!"

It seems he came so early just to have breakfast with me.

"How did you know I didn't eat either?" Chengcheng asked, feeling embarrassed.

"Didn't you buy enough for two people? Or do you think I have such a big appetite?" Zhuzhu muttered as she ate her steamed bun with her head down.

Chengcheng chuckled, feeling instantly happy; she knew what she meant.

The two were eating quietly when Chu Yan strolled in.

Seeing Chengcheng having breakfast with Zhuzhu, his lips twitched. The Yu family's brat has gotten bold enough to sit and have breakfast with Zhuzhu now?

Upon seeing Chu Yan, Yu Ze stood up and called out, "Brother Chu."

Chu Yan glanced at him indifferently, sat down on the other side, and looked at Zhuzhu, saying, "What happened? You didn't go back to the manor last night? Were you with him the whole time?"

Zhuzhu shook her head. "No, I ate at the Yu family's house and then went back. Brother Chengcheng came over this morning to check my pulse and brought me some steamed buns. Second Brother, would you like some?"

Chu Yan looked at Chengcheng suspiciously and said doubtfully, "He's not eating? I ate before I came. Is he sick?"

Zhuzhu nodded and continued eating the xiaolongbao.

Just then, Yu Hai came in with three packets of medicine.

Chu Yan glanced at it and reached out to look.

Chengcheng nodded, and Yuhai handed it over.

Chu Yan opened it and saw prepared rehmannia root, prepared aconite root, yam, cornus officinalis, cinnamon, wolfberry, eucommia, and other medicinal herbs inside. She looked at Chengcheng, then at the herbs, and asked in surprise, "You can't do it?"

Chengcheng was taken aback. "What do you mean, 'can't'?"

Chu Yan then looked at Zhu Zhu.

Zhuzhu didn't speak and ate her food silently.

Chu Yan understood. Zhu Zhu hadn't told Cheng Cheng the truth. He smiled, said nothing, and felt relieved. After wrapping up the medicine and handing it to Yu Hai, he stood up and patted Cheng Cheng's shoulder before leaving, saying, "It's good to get treatment when you're sick."

Chengcheng was completely bewildered by Chu Yan's words. She stopped eating, put down her chopsticks, and asked Zhuzhu curiously, "What is he saying? What does he mean?"

"It's nothing. Go home and boil one dose of this medicine a day. Come back in three days and I'll take your pulse." Zhuzhu put down her chopsticks; she was full.

Chengcheng agreed. After watching Yuhai pack up the food box, he pulled Zhuzhu back to the consultation room and asked softly, "Zhuzhu, tell me about my illness in detail. Is there anything I don't know?"

After thinking about it, Zhuzhu told him the truth.

“Your congenital deficiency has indeed affected your health. Normally, a man in his twenties should have a hot body, a body of pure yang. But you are so afraid of the cold and your limbs are cold. This is because of your congenital deficiency, which has caused your body to have insufficient kidney yang and weak fire of the gate of life.”

"This is also the reason why your hands and feet are cold. Kidney yang deficiency, yang deficiency and yin excess, lower back and knee pain, fatigue, aversion to cold and cold limbs, shortness of breath and cough, diarrhea, weak pulse. These symptoms may appear, just with different degrees of severity."

"When you were young, you were too young to show any problems. Now that you are an adult, you should be full of yang energy and essence, but you are weak in yang energy and naturally have depleted essence. You are just not married now. If you were to get married, your condition would worsen and you would not be able to have children."

As Zhuzhu spoke, Chengcheng's face gradually turned deathly pale. His hands trembled as he stared at Zhuzhu in disbelief. His lips opened and closed several times, as if he wanted to ask a question, but he couldn't utter a single word. He had never known that his illness was so serious.

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