Chapter 4
Remembering all this, I finally realized something was wrong.
Something was wrong with my husband.
Chu Huaizhi was nowhere near as free of desire as I’d thought!
After that, I never saw the physician again.
A new physician arrived at the estate to take his place.
It felt as though I’d discovered an entirely new world.
Thrilled that my mission might finally be progressing and I might soon go home,
I frantically called the system. “System, system! Is he about to show his true colors?
“Does this mean I can go home soon?”
The system scoffed. “Are you sure?”
Prompted by its words, I looked over.
Chu Huaizhi, who had been admiring the falling blossoms beside a tree, bent slightly to pick up a copper coin a maid had dropped.
“Is this coin yours?”
“Thank you, young master. It is.” The maid blushed, thanked him shyly, and hurried away.
I had nothing to say.
Returning lost money…
Was that something a monstrous villain would do?
No progress on my mission meant I could never go home.
Still suspicious, I decided to test him.
I wanted to find out what he was really up to.
With that in mind, I approached him and feigned innocence.
“Husband, when did we get a new physician?
“What happened to the old one?”
Chu Huaizhi was always gentle and refined, never impatient or angry.
There was often a smile in his eyes when he looked at me, as soothing as a spring breeze.
“Father has always been deeply suspicious. With so many rumors circulating, I doubt he would have kept the man in his service.”
He lifted a hand to remove a petal from my hair, a hint of innocence entering his calm voice. “Will you blame me for being powerless, Ah Ying?”
“Of… of course not.” I stiffened. My face grew hot, and I didn’t know what to do.
His long fingers brushed my cheek and came to rest beneath my chin.
Suddenly, his handsome face drew close, bringing with it a faint medicinal scent.
“Are you worried about him, Ah Ying?”
A trace of dejection crossed his eyes. He sounded desperately conflicted, yet so weak and soft-spoken.
“If his plight pains you, I’ll risk my life to bring the physician back for you.”
I was hopelessly outmatched. My hands and feet trembled with nerves as I screamed inwardly for the system.
“System! System! What do I do when I can’t keep up with his performance?”
But the system gave no sign of life.
Time to put my improvisation skills to the test.
I took a deep breath, summoned the best acting of my life, stepped sharply back, and covered my face as I wept.
“How could you think that of me?
“I only wanted to ask the physician how that medicinal ingredient works so I could help you recover sooner.”
Laying it on thick, I turned the accusation back on him.
“But you took that to mean I was worried about the physician. You don’t believe me either, do you?”