If the plot is triggered in Chapter 11, she'll drag me along...

Yu Tan, supporting herself on the medical table, suddenly stood up and grabbed the woman's wrist tightly with her five fingers.

She tried to raise the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile to make her face look less unpleasant, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"It's windy outside, it looks like it's going to snow. Where do you live, madam? Could you wait for me a moment and I'll take you there?"

The woman pulled her hand back, looking somewhat bewildered and at a loss. She declined, saying, "It's not far, I can walk back in just a couple of steps. There's no need to trouble you, young lady."

"Please wait for me a moment, madam, just a moment. I'll leave as soon as I get the medicine." She held onto the woman's sleeve tightly, her tone pleading.

She had so many questions, and she wanted to ask her.

She can't let her go.

The woman stopped struggling and sat down on a low stool nearby. "Then thank you for your kindness, young lady."

Seeing that the woman had no intention of leaving, Yu Tan was still worried and gestured to Lan Xin to keep an eye on her.

Although Lanxin couldn't hide her shock, she still obeyed Yu Tan's orders.

Yu Tan then returned to the medical record and sat down blankly. Doctor Xue placed his fingers on Yu Tan's wrist and carefully took her pulse. Doctor Xue looked up at Yu Tan several times.

This body may have been damaged by a high fever in childhood, but fortunately, it has been well cared for and nurtured through years of wealth and luxury, and is now no different from an ordinary person.

"My lady is fine. If you feel tired, just go to bed early." Doctor Xue withdrew his hand and paused for a while. "Fortunately, my lady was born into a wealthy family and is loved and cherished by her family. In the future, she should pay attention to resting more and not overwork herself. She should not let down her family's efforts."

Yu Tan snapped out of her daze after receiving Dr. Xue's instructions and withdrew her hand. "Dr. Xue, I didn't come here for treatment."

Doctor Xue frowned and looked up to see the dark circles under Yu Tan's eyes. If this well-rested body continued to be depleted like this, something bad would happen sooner or later.

Doctor Xue advised, "The eldest son of the family who runs the Langgan Tavern on Dongfang Street had a high fever for three months, which kept recurring for three months. They almost exhausted their family fortune to treat him, but they still couldn't save him. He just passed away last month."

This disease is like snatching someone from the clutches of death, costing money and energy. In ordinary farming families, the only thing they can do is give the sick children herbal medicine to boil, and less than one in ten survives.

If Heaven has spared our lives, we should cherish them and live well.

Yu Tan frowned slightly, not understanding why Doctor Xue suddenly brought this up, and could only nod to indicate that she understood.

"My wife went through this ordeal in her childhood, and to have been raised to this state is beyond the reach of ordinary people and resources. We must not waste her."

She did have a high fever when she was young, but no one told her that it was so dangerous. All she remembered was that she had a harder childhood than most people.

Under the slightly reproachful gaze of Doctor Xue, Yu Tan touched her face. Doctor Xue probably misunderstood that she was playing around and staying up late, wasting her energy.

"Thank you very much, Doctor Xue. I will remember this. Please prescribe a sleeping pill for me, as I have been having nightmares and difficulty sleeping lately."

Doctor Xue got up to fetch the medicine. Yu Tan finally came to her senses and remembered the important business she had come to Huichuntang today. She quickly called out to Doctor Xue.

"Dr. Xue, I've come to ask for a scar removal ointment."

Doctor Xue nodded and went to the inner room.

Yu Tan turned around and found the woman's gaze fixed on her. The woman smiled at her and said, "Young lady, are you injured anywhere else? Do you have any scars?"

Yu Tan shook her head and said truthfully, "It wasn't me, it was my elder brother. A few days ago, he was splashed with lamp oil while saving me and got a scar. I'm asking for medicine for him."

A gentle smile appeared on the woman's face, even the lines at the corners of her eyes were tender. "Does my wife have a good relationship with her family?"

“My grandmother and elder brother are very good to me. My father is stationed at the border all year round and doesn’t come home often.” Yu Tan walked towards the woman. “I think you look kind, madam. I haven’t asked how you are addressed yet. I am Yu Tan, the daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang. My nickname is Yao Yao.”

“Chen Chunyaoyao, may next year be bright and clear, may your wishes come true, may every year be peaceful and tranquil (1), what a wonderful name.” The woman’s movements froze, her beautiful eyes reddened, and her eyes shimmered with tears. “Yaoyao, call me Wuniang.”

Yu Tan took a step closer and stared at the woman. "My nickname was given to me by my mother. She put me in my swaddling clothes, hoping that I would have a smooth and peaceful year after year and that all my wishes would come true."

She deliberately mentioned the name "Little Child" from when she was an infant. Even if the woman didn't know her name, she must have seen the name "Little Child" before.

The woman stepped back a little, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "Auspicious, a good name."

Doctor Xue came out from the inner room with two boxes of ointment and a package of calming medicine. Lanxin paid the consultation fee, thanked him, and left the room. As soon as the woman left the room, she put on a veil, extremely avoiding showing her face.

Once inside the carriage, Lanxin sat on the frame, leaving the carriage to them.

The carriage and seats were extremely spacious, and Yu Tan was very close to Wu Niang, their shoulders almost touching when they moved.

"Wu Niang, don't you think we look alike?" After confirming that there was no one else around and that the person was on her carriage and couldn't escape, Yu Tan got straight to the point.

Wu Niang avoided the topic, as if she didn't understand her meaning.

"There are only so many different appearances among people in the world, so there are bound to be some that look alike. When the goddess Nuwa created us, she might have been lazy and just made us look similar."

Yu Tan took a step closer: "Is that so? I think that in this world, only the closest relatives would look alike."

Wu Niang turned her face away: "Young lady is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's family. She is worlds apart from me, let alone a close relative. She is not even a distant relative. Don't say such foolish things in the future."

"Oh, really?"

Wu Niang's lack of curiosity and her unwillingness to get involved made it even clearer to her that Wu Niang was her closest relative.

Wu Niang's attitude: They don't know each other.

Wu Niang didn't want to acknowledge her, and Yu Tan felt empty inside.

Wu Niang smiled and said, "You originally saw me off for this reason, but you'll forget about it after today. There's no need to take it to heart."

Yu Tan lowered her eyelashes, suppressing the bitterness in her heart.

The more she was pressured, the less Wu Niang would acknowledge her. As long as she found out where she lived, there would be plenty of time in the future.

Yu Tan forced a smile: "Where does Wu Niang live? Let me take you home."

Wu Niang opened the carriage door and pointed to the location for the coachman: "Tonghua Lane, it's at the second intersection ahead."

Yu Tan recalled the conversation she had overheard at Doctor Xue's place and asked with concern, "Wu Niang, you only recently arrived in Bianjing. Where is your hometown? Do you have any other relatives?"

Wu Niang pursed her lips: "Liangzhou."

Yu Tan's heart skipped a beat. It made sense; the female protagonist, Zhao Qiuci, was born in Liangzhou.

Wu Niang continued, "I also have a daughter at home, who is about the same age as you. Although we are poor, she is intelligent and very filial. I didn't take her with me when I came to Bianjing to visit my relatives this time because the journey was long."

Wu Niang wore a gentle smile, her tenderness evident as she recalled her daughter.

"That's wonderful." Yu Tan couldn't explain it, and felt even emptier inside, losing the courage to ask Wu Niang any more questions.

The female protagonist of this world, Zhao Qiuci, is naturally loved by everyone. Not only Wu Niang, but everyone around her will like her after Zhao Qiuci's return, and even hate her and trample her into the mud.

Her initial joy at seeing Wu Niang and guessing that she was likely her mother vanished, her face turned cold, and she unconsciously leaned towards the carriage.

Lanxin knocked on the carriage door. "My lady, we've arrived at Tonghua Lane."

Wu Niang got up, thanked her, and prepared to get off the carriage. She glanced at the medicine packet in her hand and said, "Yao Yao, drinking herbal medicine all the time is bad for your health. When my daughter was little, she couldn't sleep, so I often sang her a nursery rhyme, which was very helpful."

"I've never heard of it before. Could you please sing it for me, Wu Niang?" Yu Tan grabbed Wu Niang's sleeve, preventing her from getting off the carriage.

Wu Niang cleared her throat and sang:

"The willow branches are alive, spinning tops."

The willows are green, the bell is ringing in the air;

Willow Tree died, and then she played shuttlecock.

The willows are sprouting, time to pull them up. (2)

The melodious tune filled the carriage. The gentle tone, singing a playful children's song, didn't feel out of place at all. Yu Tan really felt a little sleepy while listening to the song, but unfortunately the song stopped.

"It's about to snow outside, Yao Yao should go home soon."

"Your singing is very nice. Can I come to listen to your songs again next time?" She held onto Wu Niang's sleeve tightly, as if she wouldn't let go if Wu Niang didn't agree.

Wu Niang smiled and said, "Okay, I'll stay in the third house inside Tonghua Lane."

"Then I'll come tomorrow, is that alright?"

"There will likely be snow tomorrow."

Yu Tan pursed her lips and stepped back, saying, "Then the day after tomorrow."

Wu Niang paused for a moment, then smiled gently, "If Yao Yao wants to come, she can."

Wu Niang got off the carriage and walked slowly towards Tonghua Lane. After she entered the lane, Yu Tan got off the carriage and followed Wu Niang into Tonghua Lane. Standing at the entrance of the lane, Yu Tan saw that Wu Niang had indeed entered the third room and had not come out for a long time before he felt relieved.

Dark clouds hung low, breath turned into mist, and wisps of white drifted down from the sky.

Back in the carriage, Yu Tan belatedly realized she was cold. Lan Xin handed her a hand warmer, saying, "It's snowing, Madam, let's go back to the manor."

"Lanxin, aren't you curious about the person from earlier?"

Lanxin shook her head. "If you don't tell me, I'll pretend I never saw it."

"Then remember, you didn't see anything today, and you can't mention it to anyone." Yu Tan let out a long sigh. Lan Xin had been following her all along, and she couldn't hide it from her anyway, so she might as well warn her sooner rather than later. "If something happens to me in the future, it won't implicate you."

Lan Xin exclaimed in surprise, "My lady!"

“When I come to see her in the future, I will bring you with me. Just pretend you’ve never seen or heard of her. It was all my doing.” She patted Lanxin’s hand. “It’s not far from the Imperial Academy. Brother went out without rain gear. Go and pick him up.”

*

When we arrived at the Imperial College, the snow had already fallen in the form of goose feathers, and when we stepped out of the carriage, the ground was covered with a thin layer of silvery white.

Yu Tan wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and, with a determined air, slowly walked to the gate of the Imperial College, where a group of students were trapped under the eaves.

She raised her umbrella, revealing her eyes, and immediately spotted Yu He'an's figure at the edge of the crowd. Tall and elegant, she stood on the far left, chatting with her lover.

Yu Tan called out softly, "Brother."

Chu Minglang looked up and saw a young woman walking through the snowy world, holding a large green bamboo-patterned umbrella with a small red tassel tied to the handle.

As she raised her hand, a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes were revealed first, with a touch of red at the corners, adding to her charm. When he saw her whole face, his breath hitched, and he lowered his head. He had seen countless beauties in Lingnan, but none of them could compare to this woman.

Yu Tan frowned. The man who had been talking to her turned around first, even before Yu He'an. He was startled when he saw her, then lowered his head.

Yu He'an turned around: "Why are you here? It's snowing and cold."

Upon seeing Yu He'an, her discomfort lessened somewhat. Yu Tan smiled and said, "I was passing by the Imperial Academy and remembered that my brother hadn't brought any rain gear, so I came to check on him."

"So you're Brother He'an's sister." The man, dressed in a smoky gray round-necked robe, with his long hair tied up high with a jade crown, and a gentle and kind smile on his face, cupped his hands in greeting to her. "Greetings, Sister Yu."

Yu He'an said, "Chu Minglang, the son of the Prince of Lingnan, came to the Imperial Academy to study together. Our two families are old friends."

Yu Tan wore a bitter expression. She had heard of Chu Minglang countless times before, and his story was the one that had the deepest entanglement with her. She sincerely intended to marry him.

Yu Tan put away her rain gear and walked slowly to the corridor. She had a bad feeling, and the plot was about to begin. Before that, she quickly hid behind Yu He'an. After confirming that it was safe, she peeked out and greeted him, "Greetings, Lord Chu."

Seeing Yu Tan's state of mind, Yu He'an helplessly called out, "Yao Yao."

Yu Tan has been unusually clingy to him lately. She doesn't stay in her courtyard for her afternoon nap, but insists on coming to the study to read. She falls asleep after reading for less than 15 minutes.

It felt like she had gone back to five years ago, waiting for him to take her out of the mansion to play, and following him around like a little shadow.

Yu He'an lowered his gaze, and Yu Tan's eyes were red. What happened?

Did I run into Ji Yushang again?

Thinking of this person, Yu He'an frowned deeply. Was he being too slow in handling things?

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Noticing Yu He'an's impatience, Yu Tan asked in a low voice. In any case, she would never confront Chu Minglang directly. If the plot was triggered, she would drag Yu He'an down with her.

A note from the author:

Thank you for the nutrient solution from the roadside vendor who was just sitting around doing nothing [lop-eared rabbit head]

The second male lead is here! [Milk tea emoji] He seems gentle on the surface, but we'll see what he really is later. I'll keep you in suspense. [shy emoji]