The rolling green hills are partially obscured by clouds and mist. The air is moist, carrying the fragrance of grass, trees, and soil, as well as a trace of the unique scent left behind by the caravan.
Kang Kang carried a worn-out blue cloth medicine chest and walked briskly on the slightly slippery stone path. Beside him, A Yuan, dressed in the same simple coarse cloth dress, her long hair simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, carried a small bundle containing dry food and water, and followed closely behind.
Unlike the cold wariness he felt upon first meeting her, A-Yuan now possessed a more vibrant charm. She would occasionally point to a peculiar plant by the roadside and ask Kang Kang about its medicinal properties, or be captivated by the splashing water in the mountain stream, a gentle smile appearing on her face. Although dressed in coarse cloth and simple clothes, the unintentional grace and radiance she exuded always made Kang Kang feel that she was not an ordinary mountain woman.
"Kang Kang, look at that flower, it's blooming on the cliff, it's so beautiful!" A Yuan stopped and pointed to a cluster of bright purple-red flowers on the distant cliff, her voice filled with the joy of a young girl.
Kang Kang looked in the direction she was pointing and smiled, "That's a purple magnolia. It's warm in nature, and its root bark can be used as medicine. It's very effective in treating bruises and sprains. However, it grows on the edge of cliffs, so it's not easy to pick."
“Oh…” A-Yuan nodded, her gaze still lingering on the bright color with a hint of longing. “It’s so beautiful, like…like the palace…like the flowers we used to grow in the greenhouse at home.” She quickly stopped herself, a fleeting sadness crossing her eyes, before she smiled again. “Let’s go!”
Kang Kang noticed her subtle emotional changes but didn't press for details. He simply replied gently, "Okay. We're almost at the village. I heard the village elder's back and leg pain has flared up these past few days, so we'll go and see him."
The two walked to a Miao village nestled against the mountainside. The villagers were very familiar with and warmly welcomed this "Jade-Faced Little Divine Doctor" who often came to provide free medical treatment without charging a penny. Kang Kang skillfully administered acupuncture and prescribed medicine for the village elder, while A Yuan quietly helped by handing over the needles and grinding the medicine. Although her movements were not very skilled, she was exceptionally serious and focused. Occasionally, when she met Kang Kang's approving gaze, her cheeks would blush slightly.
"Little miracle doctor, your sister is so pretty and skillful!" An older woman couldn't help but praise A Yuan.
A-Yuan's face turned even redder, and she lowered her head without saying a word.
Kang Kang smiled and explained, "Miss A Yuan is my...companion, and she's helped me a lot." He looked at A Yuan, his eyes filled with warmth. A Yuan felt his gaze, looked up, and their eyes met in the air, a silent understanding and a faint sweetness quietly spreading between them.
After visiting the village elder, the two politely declined his offer of a meal and continued on their way. Reaching a stream, Kang Kang stopped to rest and wash his face with water.
“Brother Kang Kang,” A Yuan sat on a large rock by the stream, resting her chin on her hands, looking at Kang Kang’s handsome profile with bright, undisguised admiration in her eyes, “The way you saved people… was so beautiful.” Her voice was soft, with a touch of coquettishness.
Kang Kang paused, water droplets sliding down his clear jawline. He turned his head, looking at A Yuan's undisguised admiration, his heart stirred slightly, and his ears turned slightly red: "It's just a doctor's duty. It's you who has suffered with me, enduring wind and rain."
“It’s not bitter!” A Yuan immediately shook her head, her tone firm. “Following Brother Kang Kang and watching him heal and save lives is more interesting than…more interesting than staying in any magnificent place!” After she finished speaking, she seemed to realize that she had let something slip again, so she quickly pursed her lips, lowered her head with some annoyance, revealing a fair and beautiful neck.
Seeing her obvious attempt to conceal something, Kang Kang chuckled inwardly. He sat down beside her, handed her a washed wild fruit, and said in a gentle, amused voice, "Miss A Yuan, your every move exudes a certain grace, much like... a carefully raised 'little princess.'" He deliberately used a lighthearted, teasing tone, testing the waters without being coercive.
A-Yuan took the fruit, her fingertips trembling slightly. She abruptly looked up, a flicker of panic crossing her almond-shaped eyes, quickly replaced by a complex emotion. She looked into Kang Kang's gentle, accepting gaze, a gaze devoid of inquiry, filled only with warmth and a barely perceptible concern. She bit her lower lip, ultimately muttering softly, "...I'm not some princess." Then she lowered her head, taking small bites of the fruit. Her long eyelashes concealed the turbulent emotions in her eyes, but a blush crept onto her cheeks, more alluring than the wild fruit in her hand.
Kang Kang didn't press further, but as he gazed at her shy yet stubborn profile, a corner of his heart softened. He reached out and gently brushed a tiny fallen leaf from her hair, his movements soft: "Eat slowly, don't choke."
A-Yuan's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed, feeling the warm touch of his fingertips, her heart pounding like a drum.
She glanced up briefly at Kang Kang's gentle smile so close to her, then quickly lowered her head, but couldn't help but smile up like a little fox who had stolen some honey.
A mountain breeze blows, a stream babbles, and the air is filled with the fragrance of wild fruits and the sweet scent of a young girl's first stirrings of love.
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