It was late autumn. Behind the house stood a forest of fiery orange, with open fields spreading out in front. The wild chrysanthemums had withered, only a few clinging stubbornly to their stems and swaying in the wind. A small river meandered by, and farther in the distance, a pool of turquoise water was nestled amid the bare rice paddies.

’A gentle stream winds through the countryside.’ The phrase popped into her head.

She dismounted and, leading her horse, slowly followed the village path toward the house in the hills.

The courtyard gate was open. She immediately spotted two village girls sitting under the eaves, dressed in coarse, homespun clothes. They looked to be about twelve or thirteen and were busy with needlework as they chatted. One of them wore a light yellow cloth covering her face.

’That must be Juhua!’

Before she could even speak, a large black dog charged out, barking ferociously at her and her horse. It looked ready to pounce at any moment, causing both village girls to look up at once.

’She doesn’t seem that special. Her eyes are just a little purer and clearer, that’s all.’

Yun Ying thought silently, observing Juhua.

Juhua had been making shoes and talking with Liu Xiaomei. Hearing the commotion, she looked up, scolded Black Dog to silence him, and eyed the pack-carrying, horse-leading young man with suspicion, wondering what his business could be.

Yun Ying raised her voice and asked, "You must be Miss Juhua? A friend of mine asked me to come and see how you’re doing."

Juhua was surprised. ’I don’t know anyone,’ she thought. ’Who would send someone to check on me?’ 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

So she asked, "Who sent you? And what for?"

Seeing that she wasn’t going to be invited in right away, Yun Ying had no choice but to say, "Qin Feng sent me."

’Qin Feng sent someone to see me?’

Though surprised, Juhua was also happy to hear this. She stood up and beckoned her inside.

Yun Ying thought for a moment, tied her horse to a tree outside the courtyard, and then stepped inside, taking a seat on the small stool Juhua offered her.

When Liu Xiaomei saw such a handsome and dashing young man, her face instantly turned bright red. She’d never seen a boy like him in her life and lowered her head, not daring to look. A moment later, however, she couldn’t resist sneaking a peek. But when she saw him sizing her up, she frantically ducked her head even lower, her blush spreading all the way down to her neck.

Juhua, however, was studying Yun Ying closely. ’If you’re going to dress as a man, at least do a better job of it,’ she thought. ’Who’s going to mistake you for a man when you look like this?’

’Still, I can’t just call her ’Miss’ out of the blue. If it turns out ’he’ really is just a pretty boy, he’d probably pass out from indignation.’

Yun Ying noted Liu Xiaomei’s shy and timid demeanor, which fit her preconceived image of a village girl perfectly. Juhua, however, handed her a cup of fragrant, pale yellow tea, then sat down across from her and studied her with calm focus, showing no trace of shyness or fear.

A sour feeling welled up inside her. ’She really is different, after all.’

When she saw Juhua remaining silent, simply waiting for her to speak, her heart began to thump uncontrollably.

’This was supposed to be a simple errand. Just give Juhua the items, and that’s it. If I were feeling particularly helpful, I could even apply the medicine to her face myself and stay here to monitor her recovery.’

’But now that I’m hesitating and don’t want to give her the items, it’s gotten awkward. What am I supposed to say? That Qin Feng sent me all this way for no reason, just to see how you’re doing?’

’Maybe I’ll just give her the antidote, the beauty cream, and the Clear Condensing Dew. As for that box...’

She had been mulling it over for days on her journey but still hadn’t come to a decision. Even now, she was wrestling with herself, trying to decide whether or not to give the black box to Juhua.

As she hesitated, agonizing over the decision, she became lost in her own world, just as she had been on the road. Forgetting her surroundings completely, her expression became inscrutable and mercurial.

Juhua waited for a long time, but her guest said nothing. She just sat there, frowning in deep thought with an ever-changing expression, her hand gripping the coarse porcelain teacup tightly. Confused, Juhua finally prompted her, "Young Master, did Doctor Qin have something he wanted you to tell me?"

Seeing that her guest had no intention of introducing herself, Juhua decided not to press the issue. ’Since Qin Feng sent her, I’ll just ask him about it later,’ she thought.

Juhua’s voice snapped Yun Ying out of her thoughts. "Ah!" she cried, nearly jumping out of her seat. "It’s nothing, it’s nothing!" she said hurriedly, sloshing water from the cup in her hand.

Seeing her in this state, Juhua felt a surge of unease. ’Don’t tell me something’s happened to Qin Feng?’

"Is Doctor Qin... all right?" she asked again.

Hearing the concern in her voice for Qin Feng, Yun Ying felt a flash of irritation. She replied, "Mas... Qin Feng is perfectly fine!"