Chapter 39: She looks so familiar to me

Lian Zhou stepped back and moved aside to clear a path: "Please, Physician Ye."

Ye Chutang gave a slight nod.

She was a woman of principle; since she had accepted his money, she naturally intended to satisfy his requests as much as possible.

Ye Chutang entered the inner room. An unfinished chess game sat before Shen Yanchuan. Hearing her approach, he looked up and offered a faint smile: "I appreciate the trouble."

Ye Chutang sat down opposite him, her smile gentle and polite: "You are too kind, Young Master Shen. It is only my duty."

Seeing the two of them acting so calm and harmonious, it was truly difficult to imagine that they had recently been threatening and guarding against one another in a dark alley.

Ye Chutang took Shen Yanchuan's pulse once more.

Shen Yanchuan suppressed his internal energy imperceptibly and looked at her: "Physician Ye, how is it?"

Ye Chutang's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She withdrew her hand and said softly, "Your previous injuries were quite severe. Although you have recovered ninety percent, your vital essence was heavily damaged, and you still require proper recuperation. Fortunately, you will not need more medicine; you only need quiet reflection and rest."

The corners of Shen Yanchuan's lips curled slightly: "Thank you."

Ye Chutang looked at him. Knowing that his intellect and schemes were far from simple, she saw no need to beat around the bush.

"To be honest, my family plans to leave Jiangling in a few days, and this medical clinic will no longer be in operation. Therefore—"

The intention to drive him away was unmistakable.

Shen Yanchuan's eyebrows rose slightly, appearing somewhat surprised: "Leaving? May I ask where Physician Ye intends to go?"

Ye Chutang sighed softly: "A great deal has happened during this time, and there is much controversy. It is unclear when the storm will subside. Furthermore, we were never residents of Jiangling to begin with. After much thought, we have decided to seek refuge with distant relatives."

"Distant relatives?" Shen Yanchuan's gaze sharpened, his eyes fixed on her face, not missing a single flicker of emotion.

If he remembered correctly, Ye Chutang and her siblings had fled from the north during the famine; how could they have so-called distant relatives?

As if sensing what he wanted to ask, Ye Chutang nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips as she explained, "We weren't aware of them before, but through a recent stroke of luck, we managed to get in touch."

In this day and age, it was indeed very difficult for a seventeen-year-old girl to raise three young siblings; seeking refuge with relatives was perfectly normal.

But—because this person was Ye Chutang, everything felt strangely off.

Although they had only known each other for a month, Shen Yanchuan was already quite certain that the young woman before him was absolutely not as pure and harmless as she appeared on the surface.

Seeking refuge with distant relatives... it was a well-crafted excuse.

Shen Yanchuan smiled and said, "I see. That is for the best, though it is a pity. Given your superb medical skills, Physician Ye, I fear it will not be easy to see you again in the future."

Ye Chutang replied, half-joking and half-serious, "I am a physician; seeing me is never a good thing. I hope Young Master Shen remains in good health and that we never meet again."

With that, she stood up and gave a formal bow. Without waiting to see his expression, she turned and left.

Lian Zhou quickly glanced at his master before hurriedly lowering his head, silently giving Ye Chutang a thumbs-up in his mind.

Not only did she drive him away, but she said it so bluntly! She might as well have thrown their belongings out and told them to get lost!

With a master of such grace and appearance, any woman would blush and feel shy for a long time upon seeing him. Yet, with Ye Chutang, she seemed to avoid him as if fearing any connection to him whatsoever. Even he could see that blatant sense of disdain! Let alone his master?

Come to think of it, this was likely the first time his master had ever been treated so coldly by a woman.

"Lian Zhou."

A cold voice drifted over, making Lian Zhou jump: "I am here!"

Shen Yanchuan glanced at him: "Did you not hear what Physician Ye said? Go pack the things so we don't delay her later."

His tone was as calm as ever, but for some reason, Lian Zhou felt a sudden chill down the back of his neck.

He immediately cupped his hands in response: "Yes!"

As he turned to head out, he unexpectedly bumped into Xie Anbai.

"Eh? Why the rush? Where are you going?" Xie Anbai asked curiously.

Lian Zhou bowed to him: "Young Master Xie, I am going to prepare the carriage."

Xie Anbai froze, realizing something, and turned to look at Shen Yanchuan: "You're leaving?"

Shen Yanchuan did not answer, merely staring at the chessboard, lost in thought.

Xie Anbai strode over: "Hey, why so sudden? You haven't even made a move with Physician Ye yet, and you're already in such a hurry to leave? At this rate, you'll never catch up to her!"

Shen Yanchuan found Xie Anbai exceptionally noisy today.

Without lifting his head, he said, "Your father wrote to me, asking where you are."

Xie Anbai's seat had barely touched the chair before he bounced up at the news: "You didn't tell him, did you!? If we're brothers, don't betray me!"

Shen Yanchuan remained noncommittal.

Xie Anbai grew anxious: "Fine, fine, fine! Do whatever you want! I won't ask, alright? If you want to return to the capital, go by yourself. I'm not going!"

Shen Yanchuan didn't care whether he returned to the capital; what he cared about was someone else: "She is going back to the capital."

"Who?" Xie Anbai reacted for a moment. "Physician Ye? Did she just tell you?"

He had just arrived and seen Ye Chutang coming out of Shen Yanchuan's room; so she had come just to say that?

"She didn't say. I guessed," Shen Yanchuan said.

Although Ye Chutang had not revealed it, he had a strong intuition that she was indeed returning to the capital.

He lifted his eyes slightly and said, "Last time, you said you happened to hear her younger brother mention the red date and chestnut cakes from Fuyue Pavilion, so you concluded they were from the capital. Aside from that, did you hear anything else?"

Xie Anbai rested his folding fan against his chin, thinking for a long while before shaking his head.

"No. That was just something I overheard when her fourth brother was coaxing that little toddler on the day I was leaving. Nothing else was said."

Fuyue Pavilion was a famous pastry shop in the capital, and its prices were not cheap. The fact that they could afford those red date and chestnut cakes proved their family had once been well-off.

But how could such a family have inexplicably left the capital to flee a famine?

That year, the north had suffered heavy snow and severe famine, but it had not affected the capital.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Suddenly, the sound of giggling drifted in from outside. A small, chubby child rushed into Ye Chutang's arms, clutching a purse tightly.

Her fleshy little hands were raised high.

—*Sister! I've packed my purse!*

Ye Chutang looked at the heavy purse and laughed, tapping the child's nose.

"Little Wu is the best. Later, go take another look; if there is anything you want to take, tell your third brother."

The little child nodded vigorously.

Shen Yanchuan watched this scene quietly.

As sunlight spilled in, the profile of the woman standing in the doorway was smooth and exquisite, her dark, gentle eyes shimmering with a starlight-like smile.

It was entirely different from the aloofness and coldness she had shown when dismissing him.

Suddenly, Xie Anbai, who was beside him, said, "Huh? Looking at Physician Ye... why does she look somewhat familiar?"

Shen Yanchuan's brow twitched slightly. He turned his head and asked in a flat voice

"Oh?"