Chapter 127: Chapter 128: Inquiring About Zhao Xiu’s News
Shao He was seeing patients, and Pei Huaian quietly accompanied her, sometimes even arranging to have lunch delivered.
After lunch, with nothing much to do, Shao He went to dry some herbs, and Pei Huaian followed her every step, occasionally helping her with the herbs.
“About the prosthetic limb, is it really feasible?”
Shao He turned to look at him, guessing this patient must be important to him, and suggested, “If you really don’t trust it, you could find someone without legs to test it. That way, you’ll know if it really works.”
Pei Huaian found this suggestion to be good and immediately had Ah Mo take care of it.
Standing with her arms crossed, Shao He touched her chin and said, “Could it be that these past few days you’ve come here just to ask about this?”
...
“Of course not, I’m worried about Chu Yu causing you trouble.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Huaian recalled that Chu Yu had come looking for her the day she returned and had come more than once, which greatly annoyed him.
Shao He raised an eyebrow, surprised he had been coming here daily and felt somewhat moved.
“Doctor Shao, someone is looking for you to see a patient,” said Zhao Xiu as she approached from the front hall.
As Zhao Yuebei was apprenticing here, Zhao Xiu also stayed behind and helped with odd jobs.
“Understood, take the herbs out to dry,” Shao He said as she walked toward the front hall.
Zhao Xiu was efficient in her work, drying all the herbs in half an hour and then picking up a broom to sweep the floor.
Suddenly, Pei Huaian asked, “Is it just you and your son at home?”
Zhao Xiu, not expecting him to suddenly ask, tightened her grip on the broom, “Yes, just me and my son. His father died early, and we have always relied on each other.”
“What is your household registration?” Pei Huaian continued.
“We are from Luyang, many years ago, we came to Capital City to seek refuge with relatives,” Zhao Xiu answered flawlessly, as if she had recited these words thousands of times before.
Pei Huaian frowned slightly, feeling something was off, and muttered to himself, “Luyang…”
“Where did you work before?”
Pei Huaian stared at Zhao Xiu’s face, observing her expression, but she maintained a light smile, giving nothing away.
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Zhao Xiu quickly lowered her head and replied, “I worked as a maid in a wealthy family.”
Pei Huaian asked many related questions, but Zhao Xiu did not mention anything about having worked in the palace, seemingly hiding something on purpose.
When Shao He entered, she saw Pei Huaian looking inquisitively at Zhao Xiu and Zhao Yuebei, as if he had known them before, but she did not probe further.
Given the complexity of Pei Huaian’s identity, it was better to know less about his affairs to avoid unnecessary trouble.
It would have been alright if it were just her, but now with a child involved, she had to be more cautious.
Suddenly, Ah Mo hurried in, his face full of urgency. He bent down and whispered a few words in Pei Huaian’s ear, causing Pei Huaian’s expression to instantly darken, his brow furrowing deeply.
“Is something the matter?” Shao He sharply noticed Pei Huaian’s odd behavior and asked curiously.
Pei Huaian took a deep breath, looked up at Shao He with a heavy tone, and said, “I’ve got something on today, I can’t go back with you tonight. Be extra careful on your own.”
Shao He’s heart tightened. Knowing the complexity of Pei Huaian’s identity, she did not ask further. She nodded and replied softly, “Alright, you too be careful.”
Pei Huaian gazed deeply at Shao He, his eyes revealing a hint of tenderness, then turned and left the room. His figure gradually disappeared outside the door, leaving Shao He alone in the room, quietly contemplating.
“Doctor Shao, I’ve dried the herbs and cleaned the place up. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now,” Zhao Xiu said as she approached.
“Hmm, thank you for your hard work,” responded Shao He with a gentle smile.
After Zhao Xiu left, Shao He stood outside the house, looking at the empty courtyard, feeling as if something was missing.
Shaking off these messy thoughts, Shao He turned back to the front hall to see patients and dispense medicines.
By the time she finished, it had grown dark outside.
Seeing her leave alone, Zhao Yuebei curiously asked, “Isn’t that gentleman accompanying Doctor Shao today?”
“He had something on today,” Shao He recalled Pei Huaian’s grave expression, her heart skipping a beat.
For some reason, she felt a bit uneasy.
“Shall I walk you home?” Zhao Yuebei offered.
After all, it really wasn’t safe for a woman to walk alone at night, and if something happened, there would be no one to call for help.
“No need, I can go back by myself,” Shao He gently refused and disappeared into the darkness.
Walking on the familiar path, her gaze unconsciously glanced at the spot beside her, where a carriage usually stood. Now empty, it felt somewhat unsettling.
She shook her head and continued walking when suddenly the sound of horse hooves approached from ahead.
A carriage came from afar. Shao He watched intently, her heart filled with anticipation, but upon seeing the person on the carriage, her eyes fell in disappointment.
“Why are you here?”
It turned out that the one driving the carriage was not someone else but Qingxia, who had not accompanied Shao He today.
“Young Master Pei said he had something on today and couldn’t go back with you. He especially sent someone to the residence to inform us, letting us know to pick you up tonight,” Qingxia explained.
Qingxia grew increasingly fond of Young Master Pei. Such a considerate and detailed person was rare to find.
Not only was Young Master Pei handsome, but he also treated Shao He with utmost care.