You're jealous.
When Lin Yi took Xue Ya to see Duan Wenjin, they were stopped as soon as they arrived at Renjitang.
It was a drowsy afternoon, and usually at this time, unless there was a serious illness, people wouldn't want to go to the doctor under the scorching sun for even a minor ailment. But perhaps because of what had happened the day before, there were more people than usual in this muggy heat.
There was only one accountant and one handyman on duty in the hall, and they were quite busy. Seeing that Lin Yi was not there for a medical consultation, they were rather negligent.
After much persuasion and explanation from Lin Yi, the servant reluctantly led the person inside.
The second floor of Renjitang is a rest room for the family and a temporary recuperation place for seriously ill patients. People are generally not allowed to go up there.
Duan Wenjin recuperated in the innermost room.
After leading the person to the door and knocking to announce their arrival, the servant hurriedly went downstairs to attend to the other patients.
Duan Wenjin was injured on his shoulder and back. He was lying on the bed when he heard that Qiu Qing had come to visit him. He quickly put on his clothes and sat up. The movement aggravated his wound, and he couldn't help but clench his lips in pain.
Lin Yi pushed open the door and entered, and this was the scene that greeted him.
"Don't move!" Lin Yi took a few quick steps, but when she arrived at the bedside, she was a little flustered. It was really inappropriate for a woman like her to come in so rashly. She couldn't help but feel annoyed: she should have dragged Xie Chengnan over with her. Who cares if he wanted to or not? Why was he listening to music? If he had been there to keep her company, she wouldn't have been so embarrassed.
"It was my fault for coming over without telling you beforehand. You were just injured, you didn't need to get up."
Duan Wenjin shook his head, "There's no reason to lie down when meeting guests."
He refused to lie there unceremoniously in front of outsiders. His back was injured, and he couldn't sit up against the headboard, so he had to sit on the edge of the bed. Several feet of the blow landed on his thighs, and Duan Wenjin's posture was indescribably awkward as he tried to avoid the injury.
He smiled shyly, "I'm sorry to have made Miss Qiu laugh."
In the summer, the clothes are thin, and through the thin white fabric, one can vaguely see the crisscrossing purplish-blue marks on the shoulders and back, with some even oozing blood.
Lin Yi gasped, "How could they beat me like this? How could they be so cruel?"
"How do you know it was someone who beat you up? Judging from your words, you even know who did it. Could it be that you've planted a spy in Renjitang?" Duan Wenjin joked with a wry smile.
Startled by the wound, Lin Yi forgot that she shouldn't have known this in the first place. She hadn't expected it to be exposed so quickly, but she couldn't explain it. She couldn't very well say directly that she suspected he was involved in the Liu family's case, so she had been sending people to keep an eye on his movements.
Fortunately, she was quick-witted. "Actually, I went to the Laiyue Tea House across the street to buy pastries. Their pastries are delicious. Since I was already here, I thought I'd bring you some, but the servant downstairs said you were injured and couldn't see anyone. You were fine when I left yesterday, injured on your back. Could it be that those two people from yesterday came back to get revenge on you?"
Her hastily put-together explanation was passable, but to a discerning person, it still had significant problems. And, coincidentally, Duan Wenjin was just that kind of person.
Fortunately, he didn't want to embarrass Qiu Qingye, so no matter what he thought in his heart, he still believed it on the surface.
Duan Wenjin asked with a smile, "It's rare that Miss Qiu still thinks of me. What good thing is it?"
While the two were talking, Xueya placed the bag of pastries on the table and then considerately stepped aside.
Hearing his question, she very tactfully took it closer and placed it beside the two of them.
Duan Wenjin thanked her politely, then turned to Qiu Qingye and praised her, "You're a very clever girl."
Lin Yi smiled and agreed on Xueya's behalf, "She is indeed thoughtful and clever. I am very grateful to have her by my side all the time."
Unwrapping the rough, oiled paper packaging, inside were several delicate, soft plum blossom cakes. Duan Wenjin paused upon seeing them, "You like to eat this too?"
After saying that, he picked up a piece and took a small bite.
"You like this word 'also' too?" Lin Yi asked.
"It's been a long time since I've had this. An old friend of mine used to like it too."
"What a coincidence! Could you tell me about this old friend?"
Actually, it wasn't a coincidence. Lin Yi had found out beforehand that Madam Liu San loved plum blossom cakes the most, so he deliberately bought some to bring to Duan Wenjin, just to see his reaction.
Duan Wenjin said calmly, "Miss Qiu, if there are too many coincidences, it will seem unnatural."
Lin Yi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "That's true, then why don't you tell me about your injury?"
"It was just an accident, nothing to say," Duan Wenjin said.
"Then, do you need me to take a look? I know you are a skilled doctor, but the injury is on your shoulder and back, so it's not easy to apply medicine yourself."
Duan Wenjin smiled and said, "My Renjitang has no shortage of medicinal herbs or manpower; it's just that there are few people available right now. Besides, I am not yet married, but Miss Qiu is already with Young Master Xie. It is inappropriate for us to be so intimate."
Lin Yi repeatedly ran into obstacles with him, but even his uncooperative tone and attitude were so polite and sincere that it was hard for anyone to feel unhappy.
Speaking of the proper distance between men and women, Lin Yi recalled their first meeting when Xie Chengnan asked Duan Wenjin to help diagnose why he had not conceived yet.
At that time, the two did not share a bed, but no one knew.
Lin Yi was a little curious; how did he figure that out?
"Last time, I mean—the first time Xie Chengnan and I came here, you were able to tell we...didn't share a bed just by taking our pulses. How did you do that?"
Lin Yi's current knowledge does not yet cover this.
The reason for asking this question was twofold: firstly, to test Duan Wenjin's attitude towards them; secondly, out of genuine curiosity; and thirdly, it depended on whether the person would cooperate.
Duan Wenjin took the bait and checked Lin's pulse again. He gave a few pointers and then asked Lin to try taking the pulse.
Lin Yi carefully felt his pulse beating, and as he had said, all three pulses were smooth and clear, as if a new silkworm cocoon had been peeled.
A slight tremor ran through her, and she couldn't help but explain, "Actually, I'm a little scared about this, so I haven't told him yet..."
Duan Wenjin interrupted her at the right moment: "This is Miss Qiu and Young Master Xie's private matter. I am not curious and will not ask about it."
His thoughtful and measured words and actions made Lin Yi feel a little embarrassed.
Lin Yi then touched Xueya's pulse, which was also clear and lustrous.
She found it amusing: "Can you even feel a man's pulse?"
Duan Wenjin extended his wrist to her: "Miss Qiu, why don't you touch it?"
Lin Yi tried it, but she didn't know if it was because she was not good at academics, or because Duan Wenjin had already done that kind of thing with Madam Liu, or because of the difference in gender, she couldn't figure it out. She only felt the pulse under her fingertips beating steadily and strongly.
Perhaps Duan Wenjin was too bored during his recovery, or perhaps the two were truly destined for each other, and they actually became somewhat familiar with each other through taking each other's pulses.
After that, they talked about the recent situation of Renjitang and the new head of the hall, who was Duan Wenjin's father. Although they didn't talk much, Lin Yi could infer from his attitude when he mentioned Duan Qitian that he was an extremely strict and stubborn person, which matched the description given by the waiter in the teahouse.
——
"Sister-in-law? What did you two talk about this afternoon?"
Lin Yi pulled himself out of his memories. They hadn't really talked much; their conversation was scattered, just a few words here and there, whatever came to mind, with almost no useful clues. However…
"They didn't say much, just some casual conversation, but I roughly understand why Madam Liu likes him."
"Thud—"
Feng Zhengxian, oblivious to the fallen chopsticks, rushed to check Xie Chengnan's reaction beside him, afraid of missing any exciting moments.
Xie Chengnan remained quite calm, continuing to put his chopsticks into his mouth as if he wasn't the one who went to listen to music this morning because he had nowhere to vent his anger.
Feng Zhengxian felt he had to speak up for his good brother who had no mouth, "Sister-in-law, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"Hmm? What's inappropriate?"
Before Feng Zhengxian could answer, Xie Chengnan, as if afraid that he might utter something earth-shattering, deftly silenced him with a chopstick of pork rib, then turned to Lin Yi and said casually, "Then tell me, what's so likable about him?"
After a moment's thought, Lin Yi slowly recounted the virtues she had perceived in Duan Wenjin over the past few days: "On a simple level, he is gentle, considerate, thoughtful, handsome, and possesses the heart of a healer to save lives. Moreover... he has his own compelling reasons and things he cares about, which is very appealing to young ladies from respectable families. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's probably that resilience in the face of real-world pressures that makes him less likely to compromise, which aligns more with their expectations of a 'gentleman'."
Xie Chengnan listened quietly, his smile still on his face, but that smile gradually became somewhat strange. "There's another layer that's not so obvious?"
"Duan Wenjin is a complex person. He loves to laugh. This shows that he is optimistic and gentle, but on a deeper psychological level, it also shows that he craves recognition, is afraid of rejection, and lacks a sense of security."
At this point, Lin Yi felt a lump in her throat. "People like that make you feel sorry for them."
Xie Chengnan nodded, looking knowing: "So you feel sorry for him."
"Whether I feel heartache or not is not important. The key is that Madam Liu will definitely feel heartache when facing someone like this." When it came to feeling heartache, Lin Yi seemed to grasp something for a moment, but it was not real. He could only let the thought pass by in his mind.
Looking at Qiu Qingye's innocent and bewildered face, and Xie Chengnan's increasingly distorted smile, Feng Zhengxian sensed the calm before the storm. He wiped his face and said in a tone of utter despair, "Sister-in-law, I beg you, please don't say any more."
Lin Yi glanced at Feng Zhengxian, then at Xie Chengnan. She abandoned the idea of continuing to investigate, and instead, as if struck by a sudden realization, understood the source of the strange atmosphere that had been lingering between her and Xie Chengnan these past few days.
She knew this wasn't the best time to speak openly, but Xie Chengnan's smile was somewhat irritating.
She doesn't like it.
So she said confidently, "You're jealous." Just like the day they first met, when she easily told Xie Chengnan, "You like me."
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