Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Since it was classified, Hua Yusen couldn’t elaborate. He skirted the issue, explaining, ”I was supposed to be back in a week, but we received a call for help. Elder Gu considered the bigger picture, set aside old grievances, and went to save the person, so we were delayed.”

”A call for help?” Zhao Nuanyue was taken aback. ”A man, or a woman?”

”Er... a woman,” Hua Yusen replied, quickly trying to distance himself from the situation. ”But it had nothing to do with me. I was just away on business.”

”It’s best if it has nothing to do with you. Remember, you’re a man with a fiancée now, and we’re getting married in a month.” Zhao Nuanyue placed a piece of braised meat on Hua Yusen’s plate, her tone becoming more forceful. ”When you have a fiancée, or when you encounter other women, you need to know how to avoid any misunderstandings. Got it?”

”I know, I know.” Hua Yusen felt a pang of guilt, his mind flashing back to the scene.

’Sigh, I’d better not say any more, or Zhao Nuanyue will get angry. I’ve done nothing wrong, my conscience is clear. I have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.’

Still, this trip wasn’t without its rewards. Not only had Hua Yusen achieved his primary objective and formed an alliance with the Liu Family, but he had also established contact with the Wu Family. An alliance with them was now on the horizon!

After dinner, Nuanyang started to draw, with Little Red Carp watching over his shoulder. As for their sister Zhao Nuanyue, she had already gone for a walk by the lake with Hua Yusen to chat, having no time for them.

This made Little Red Carp feel a little melancholy.

”Nuanyue, I truly can’t wait to marry you,” Hua Yusen said, holding Zhao Nuanyue’s hand. ”You have no idea how much I missed you while I was away.”

”And my longing for you while waiting at home was no less than yours,” Zhao Nuanyue replied, blushing as she spoke from the heart. ”I wish we could be together every day and never be parted, but I know that’s impossible. You have your career and your own world, and I can’t stand in your way.”

”How could you be standing in my way? You’re the very reason I press forward!” Hua Yusen said in a low, serious voice. He knew he had to fight hard in the face of the current grim situation. ”Without power, I can’t protect you. Without power, I can’t defend the Hua family. It is for you and my family that I have the drive to charge ahead.”

Zhao Nuanyue understood. In their position, if you weren’t moving forward, you were falling back.

If Hua Yusen didn’t fight, didn’t struggle for more, the Hua family would be crushed by the Li family. When that happened, everyone would come circling like vultures for a piece, and the Hua family would meet a tragic end. As a daughter-in-law of the Hua family, Zhao Nuanyue wouldn’t be able to live a peaceful life either.

”Me too,” Zhao Nuanyue replied. ”You, Little Red Carp, and Nuanyang motivate me to constantly improve, to study medicine diligently, to heal the sick and save the dying, and to become a renowned doctor of my generation, just like my master. Then, those who might want to bully me wouldn’t dare to try.”

”Exactly. An enemy is never satisfied by our forbearance or politeness. On the contrary, give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Only by being strong can we force them to halt,” Hua Yusen said gravely. Countless events had proven him right.

For instance, with the powerful rise of the Gu Family in Jincheng City, those with ulterior motives had begun to quiet down.

Looking at Hua Yusen’s righteous and determined face, Zhao Nuanyue’s heart hammered in her chest.

’This is my man!’

’The only man I’ve loved in this life and my last!’

Under the moonlight, the two walked by the lake, whispering their affections. The shadows of the trees danced, and a gentle breeze caressed Zhao Nuanyue’s face, lifting strands of her hair. To Hua Yusen’s eyes, she was as beautiful as a celestial fairy.

Hua Yusen stayed very late before he finally departed.

「Early the next morning」

Zhao Nuanyue was making breakfast when Hua Yusen arrived at the door, gifts in hand.

Little Red Carp had asked for a gift yesterday, and even if he had forgotten to bring one from his trip, he could always just buy one.

He had brought an exquisite pencil case for Little Red Carp, a fine set of art supplies for Zhao Nuan Yang, and for Zhao Nuanyue, a light gray woolen coat. She would be able to wear it once the weather turned colder.

Zhao Nuanyue had already prepared her wedding outfit. It was the same red woolen coat she wore for their engagement, but she had made a few alterations, adding a matching belt that made the whole ensemble much more stylish.

’Under the current circumstances, they had to keep things simple. This was the best they could do.’

’One day, when their finances were better and government policies loosened up, she was determined to buy herself lots of beautiful clothes and dress up every single day.’

Since it was the weekend and no one had to work, Hua Yusen took Zhao Nuanyue, Zhao Nuan Yang, and Little Red Carp to visit Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian. In the afternoon, they went to see He Qiang and Master Hu, and in the evening, they visited Madam Sun at Immortal Grass Hall.

It was a full and eventful day.

Zhao Nuanyue felt incredibly happy and content.

Although she still had to be on guard against Wang Yuan and Guo Dongmei, who could stir up trouble at any moment, she figured there was always something to worry about. Zhao Nuanyue simply chose to see them as the spice of life.

However, she had no idea that a conspiracy targeting her was already descending upon her like a great, inescapable net.

「In Jincheng City, at the elegant residence of the Wu Family.」

A beautiful young woman sat between an elderly couple, her head bowed as she wept in silence.

”Father, the Li family has gone too far,” the woman lamented. ”Does my sister really have to marry such a scumbag?”

”Qiaoqiao, you can’t generalize. Gongming is actually a decent man,” Old Sir Wu explained. ”Your sister likes Li Gongming, and our Wu Family needs this alliance. So, even though Li Gongde’s actions were outrageous, we have no choice but to endure it.”

”Father, why must we endure it?” Wu Qiaoqiao asked, incensed. ”Do you realize what happened? Li Gongde dragged Qingqing and me into a room and, using the excuse of being drunk, tried to assault me! If Hua Yusen hadn’t saved me, my life would have been ruined!”

Seeing her younger daughter crying so wretchedly, Mrs. Wu became angry as well. She said, ”Husband, I don’t understand the grand politics of the Wu Family, but I understand our daughters. Our eldest is engaged to Li Gongming. You said that if the Li family gains power, the marriage alliance will benefit us, and you told me to overlook Li Gongming’s reputation. You said it’s normal for young men to have their affairs, that they’ll mature with age and return to their family. Fine, I let that go. But for Li Gongde to do this to our Qiaoqiao—it’s clear they have no respect for the Wu Family at all! If people like that come into power, they will never keep their promises.”

Old Sir Wu fell silent, stroking his beard as he sank into deep thought.

’The engagement with the Li family was a carefully considered decision, but several recent incidents had shaken his resolve. His own daughter had nearly been defiled by Li Gongde—that spoke volumes about the Li family’s true attitude.’