Chapter 142: Reunion

Old Xian had long since finished brewing the medicinal decoction, but seeing no one had returned, he had no choice but to carry the bowl himself toward Qian Yin’s room. Along the way, he encountered Master Mo, who had not gone to work. The master’s face was dark, and though he seethed with anger at the sight of Old Xian, he dared not voice a word.

Old Xian relished this feeling. He often thought of the father and son as unfilial descendants. He enjoyed the way they looked at him—filled with a desire to strike, yet paralyzed by the inability to act. A chuckle even escaped him inwardly.

Upon opening the door, he found the room still heavy with the scent of medicine. A bouquet of roses sat on the table, lightly misted with water, looking vibrant. Yet, the floral fragrance could not mask the medicinal bitterness.

Old Xian set the bowl down and took a seat. He first checked Qian Yin’s pulse and examined her eyes. When he touched her hand, he felt her body growing colder. He furrowed his brows; there was not a single sign of improvement, and she seemed even worse.

"Silly child, wake up soon. There is so much beauty in this world you have yet to experience. Why, at such a young age, would you wish to depart?" Old Xian stroked Qian Yin’s hair and said with a sigh.

The person on the bed offered no reaction, sleeping so silently she seemed as though she had already departed. Old Xian resignedly adjusted her pillows and propped her into a sitting position. He carefully lifted the bowl, blew on the medicine, and brought it to her lips. When she did not open them, he gently pried her mouth apart, feeding her the liquid drop by drop. He had to be slow; if he fed her too quickly, she might choke.

It took over half an hour for Old Xian to finish feeding her. He frowned deeply. Mo Lan truly possessed great patience in caring for Qian Yin. She fought for the chance to tend to her; even if it were out of a sense of restitution, the sincerity was evident.

When Boss Jin arrived, there was no one to greet him. The servants ushered him into the main hall, and he did not wander about. Treating the place like his own home, he sat down to drink tea and eat fruit. He found the lack of people slightly puzzling, but he was comfortable enough; treating another’s house as his own was a pleasant feeling.

As Old Xian stepped out after finally finishing the feeding, he saw someone downstairs. Upon closer inspection, it was the man who had gifted him the jade chess set. He smiled and walked forward, saying, "Little Jin, why are you here? You didn't even give a heads-up before coming."

Boss Jin stood up at once, shaking hands with Old Xian and complaining with a smile, "Since no one was around, I had to make myself at home and rest a bit."

"They are all very busy; a lot has happened lately." Old Xian sat down, placing the medicinal bowl on the table. He looked weary, his mind in a state of disarray. Seeing Little Jin, he felt relieved to have a companion for a game of chess. "Come, let’s go to my courtyard and play a few rounds."

Boss Jin nodded, and the two headed off to play, ignoring everyone else. Boss Jin’s own mind was in turmoil, and a game of chess was a welcome distraction. Perhaps, through the game, he might find some clarity.

An Feng pulled up to the curb and escorted the two little ones into the Mo residence. The servants were all curious: Captain An Feng was so young—whose children were these?

The hall was deserted, leaving An Feng standing there in a daze. How could there be no one around?

"You two wait here for a moment; I'll go ask the maid to prepare something for you to eat." Seeing that the children had likely not eaten, An Feng headed straight for the kitchen.

Bai Bai treated the place like her own home, acting completely at ease, while Mu Mian remained somewhat reserved, given the grandeur of the villa. Seeing Mu Mian’s hesitation, Bai Bai pulled her onto the sofa, picked up two grapes, handed one to Mu Mian, and popped the other into her own mouth.

In the kitchen, the maids greeted An Feng warmly.

"Our future son-in-law is here so early today! Lunch will be ready soon. Since no one came to urge us, we weren't in a rush."

"In that case, continue with your work." Hearing the words "future son-in-law," An Feng was delighted, his face beaming with joy.

Mo Lan and the others soon returned, parked the cars, and walked toward the hall with their medicinal baskets on their backs. Noticing Bai Bai had arrived, Mo Lan quickly set down her basket and hugged her. Bai Bai looked at the dirt-streaked Mo Lan and stared in surprise.

The four others—East, South, West, and North—did not linger, carrying the medicinal baskets directly to Old Xian’s courtyard.

An Feng saw Mo Lan return and intended to greet her, but seeing her hug the little girl first, he sat down in defeat, slowly peeling an orange in silence.

"Goodness, Sister Mo Lan, where have you been? Why are you so dirty?" Bai Bai squealed. She hadn't seen anyone so filthy in a long time, and she certainly hadn't expected Mo Lan to look this way.

Mo Lan used a dirt-smudged finger to tap Bai Bai’s nose, smiling. "Oh, you've grown quite a temper, haven't you? Daring to look down on me?" With that, she rubbed her cheek against Bai Bai’s.

Bai Bai helplessly held up her hands, a look of innocence on her face. Adults these days were truly hard to please.

Mu Mian watched the two of them from the side with envy. Unlike herself—an orphan with no one to care for her but Bai Bai—they had affection and warmth.

After playing for a while, Mo Lan looked at the other little girl. Though she found her presence a bit odd, she turned her attention back to Bai Bai. "I'm going to take a bath first. After we eat, shall we go see Sister Qian Yin?"

At the mention of visiting Qian Yin, Bai Bai’s heart sank. Not wanting the others to notice her mood, she simply nodded.

As Mo Lan headed upstairs, she spotted An Feng. She waved at him without saying a word and continued toward her room.

An Feng’s mouth twitched violently. Did she have to be so cold to him? How many bad deeds had he committed in his past life to deserve meeting this woman in the present one?

When Mo Lan returned to her room, the fresh scent of medicine told her that Old Xian had already fed Qian Yin. She longed to check on her, but seeing her own disheveled state, she decided to bathe first.

After a quick bath, Mo Lan’s first act was to sit by Qian Yin’s side, hold her hand, and whisper, "I’m bringing two people to see you in a while. Wake up soon, or they’ll be gone."

The four youngsters finished delivering the herbs and returned to their rooms, washing up before heading to the hall for dinner. They were famished after running all over the mountains.

Old Xian and Boss Jin decided it was time to eat as well. Having finished their game, they reluctantly left the chessboard and joined the others in the hall. The two bodyguards followed in silence, unable to comprehend the complex strategies of the masters.

The hall felt much livelier now, finally resembling a true family home. It had been so desolate earlier that they had feared they’d entered the wrong place.

Boss Jin, not having heard any mention of Qian Yin, was unaware of her condition. Finding her absence strange, he asked, "Where is Miss Qian Yin? Didn't she return?"