After listening to the boy's account, Li Xi carefully recorded his condition.
Seeing that it was getting late, she folded the paper and put it away, preparing to leave. "Grandpa, I'm leaving now. If you have any difficulties, come find me at Yunlai Inn."
"Thank you so much, young master." The old man was moved to tears. He quickly stepped forward to see her out.
Li Xi waved her hand and turned to leave. The boy nodded, watching Li Xi's departing figure, a hint of ambiguous emotion flashing in his eyes.
When we returned to the inn, night had already fallen, and the inn was relatively quiet.
There were very few diners, but a figure rushed toward Li Xi the moment he saw her.
The newcomer's face lit up with surprise and joy as he exclaimed, "Xi'er, you're finally back!"
Just as she stepped into the inn, a familiar yet unexpected call drew her attention.
She looked in that direction and saw a familiar figure walking briskly toward her, the speed of which seemed to tell her that she had been waiting for a long time.
Meng Zhelan's face was filled with deep concern and undisguised anticipation, as if she had been longing for her return.
Li Xi was surprised, but an indescribable joy welled up in her heart. "Lan'er, what are you doing here?"
Meng Zhelan gently grasped Li Xi's hand, her voice trembling slightly, and scolded, "Xi'er, how could you take such a risk?"
She frowned, learning from Chen Quan that Li Xi had become addicted to opium in his search for clues. This made Meng Zhelan both heartbroken and angry. She knew the dangers of opium and didn't want to see Li Xi put himself in danger in his pursuit of the truth.
Looking at Meng Zhelan's worried eyes, Li Xi felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
She knew that Meng Zhelan genuinely cared about her. Although her words of reproach were somewhat harsh, they were mostly expressions of concern and love for her.
Smiling, he said, "Lan'er, don't worry, I suppressed it with my internal energy and it won't cause any problems for now. Besides, I won't let Chen Quan go back to find you, will I? I didn't expect you to come here in person."
Meng Zhelan was still worried, so she pulled Li Xi to sit down in a quiet corner of the inn and began to carefully take her pulse. Her brows were furrowed as she focused intently on every subtle change in Li Xi's pulse.
After a long while, she finally let go, her brows still furrowed.
Li Xi looked at her, feeling uneasy, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Meng Zhelan raised her head, looking at Li Xi with a complicated expression, then took a deep breath and said softly, "It seems that there is nothing seriously wrong at the moment."
But a hint of doubt still lingered in her eyes, because Li Xi's pulse was fluctuating abnormally, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, sometimes strong, and sometimes weak.
She still needs to confirm what this means.
At this moment, Chen Quan and Sun Tiantian also arrived at the guest room. After their long journey, they both looked quite exhausted. They first went back to their room to rest for a while, and only after washing up and regaining some energy did they come out to eat.
Upon seeing Li Xi, Sun Tiantian's face lit up with joy, and she couldn't help but excitedly call out, "Young Master Xi!"
The three sat together and began to talk about the various things that had happened in Kyoto. They shared their experiences, and their conversation was filled with laughter and warmth.
Chen Quan, finally finding an opportunity to interject, whispered to Li Xi, "Young Master, this is a letter from the Emperor Emeritus to you."
He took a slightly crumpled envelope from his pocket and handed it to Li Xi.
She didn't take it out to look at it immediately, but continued to enjoy dinner with everyone.
It wasn't until late at night, when everyone was asleep, that Li Xi lit the candle and opened the envelope.
On the letter, the retired emperor's handwriting was vigorous and powerful, and he mentioned at the end that the emperor would send Prince An to handle this matter.
After reading the letter, Li Xi felt a mix of emotions.
She decided to remain silent for the time being and wait for Prince An to arrive.
The dim candlelight cast dappled shadows on Meng Zhelan's face. She flipped through medical books on the other side of the table, trying to find a way to quit smoking.
In order to know Li Xi's situation at any time, Meng Zhelan decided to stay here.
This courtyard is only for their own family, so they won't be disturbed by other guests.
The night was as dark as ink, and the faint candlelight cast dappled shadows on Meng Zhelan's face, adding a touch of mystery and determination to her figure as she intently flipped through medical books.
Her gaze wandered between the pages of the book, hoping to find a way to help Li Xi quit smoking.
"Lan'er, aren't you asleep yet? You've been traveling for days, you should get some rest." Li Xi's voice broke the quiet of the night.
Looking at Meng Zhelan's tired yet determined face, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
Meng Zhelan traveled a long way to come here not only to keep an eye on her condition, but also to lend a helping hand when she needed it. She gave Li Xi a reassuring smile, "Xi'er, you really don't need to worry about me. I'm in great shape now and full of energy."
Li Xi gently grasped Meng Zhelan's hand. "Lan'er, thank you so much for your constant companionship and support. With you by my side, I feel I have endless courage to face any difficulty."
Meng Zhelan's eyes were full of doting and helplessness. She shook her head gently, as if to express her disapproval of Xi'er's politeness.
She said softly, "Xi'er, we are like sisters, there's no need for thanks. There's no need for such formality between us." She lowered her head, focusing on the medical book in her hands, and spoke softly as she flipped through it.
This scene gave Li Xi a strange sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for a long time and were old friends.
She was about to go wash up when she saw the paper and herbs in the bag and suddenly remembered Gu Cheng.
Meng Zhelan took a look and had some ideas in mind. "This is the first time I've seen this herb. It looks quite peculiar. Let's go together tomorrow and see how it is."
The next morning, the two set off early.
Huangshi Town is surrounded by mountains, which act as a natural barrier, protecting this peaceful and beautiful land.
The scenery here is picturesque and exceptionally beautiful. Whether it is the magnificence of the mountains and rivers or the freshness of the fields, it is so captivating that one lingers there, as if in a fairyland.
To make travel more convenient, Meng Zhelan started learning horseback riding with Li Xi and Sun Tiantian last year.
Gu Cheng and his granddaughter lived in Liangshi Village, on the outskirts of Huangshi Town. It took them about an hour to reach their destination by horseback outside the city gate.
Liangshi Village is a small village where people make a living by hunting. There are only about ten households, but the villagers are very hospitable.
When they arrived at Gu Cheng's house, they saw an old man and a strong young man pushing each other, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Seeing this, Li Xi immediately rushed forward, forcefully pulled the young man away, and shouted angrily, "You're even bullying the elderly?"
The young man was startled by Li Xi's sudden action and strong tone. He felt a sharp pain in his arm and couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
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