C8 Repay the Favor

The elderly man, his hair streaked with gray, felt quite pleased with himself for his clever maneuver when Chi Rongyan agreed to his request. He couldn't understand why none of the doctors in the capital had come to see the notice offering a reward of ten thousand gold pieces. When a new face finally appeared, he had to employ a bit of subtle persuasion to achieve his goal.

Chi Rongyan was unaware of the old man's thoughts. She followed him to his residence and entered a lavishly decorated bedroom, where she saw a young girl lying in bed. Taking her pulse, Chi Rongyan couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. She glanced at the five anxious men standing outside the curtain and forced herself to speak with a professional tone.

"Your Grace, Your Highness, the young lady just has a bit of indigestion. Some medicine will make her feel better."

What she hadn't expected was that the old man was actually the Emperor's second uncle. Nor did she realize that when the Duke mentioned his only daughter, he meant this young lady had several older brothers. Even more surprising was that this chubby young princess had simply overeaten!

Earlier, she had assumed the lack of interest in the notice meant a serious illness, but now it seemed likely that the doctors were deterred by the intense scrutiny of these five men, combined with the young princess's pampered lifestyle and reluctance to take bitter medicine. After some thought, Chi Rongyan retrieved a bag from her supplies...

Hawthorn Pills.

While handing over the hawthorn pills, Chi Rongyan also offered a bottle of spring water she'd prepared to the chubby young princess in front of her. The young princess hesitated at first, eyeing the dark pills, but the sweet and sour aroma of hawthorn quickly convinced her to eat them without a second thought.

After drinking the spring water, the chubby little girl, who had been clutching her stomach on the couch just a moment ago, suddenly sprang up and joyfully ran outside, throwing herself into the Duke's arms.

The Duke was overjoyed, unable to contain his smile as he comforted his daughter and looked at Chi Rongyan with tears of gratitude in his eyes. "A miracle worker, truly a miracle worker!"

Chi Rongyan: "..."

She had thought it was some complicated ailment. But seeing that the young princess was perfectly fine, she felt it inappropriate to accept any reward.

With this in mind, Chi Rongyan smiled and modestly declined, preparing to take her leave. However, the Duke and several of his, well, much older sons insisted she stay.

Unable to refuse their warm hospitality, Chi Rongyan eventually left the estate with an armful of gifts. In addition to the reward promised in the notice, she received many precious treasures and medicinal herbs. In just one afternoon, she also formed a deep friendship with the young princess.

The young princess even gave her a token, inviting her to visit often and take whatever she needed from the estate's storeroom. Chi Rongyan initially felt it was inappropriate, but upon seeing the array of rare herbs, she quickly set aside her reservations. She could pass on other perks, but not on these valuable herbs!

As Xie Xuanmo's carriage passed by the estate, he noticed Chi Rongyan struggling to carry a heap of items out. Seeing the young girl's eyes light up at the sight of the herbs, he couldn't help but smile slightly. He glanced at her once more before turning his attention to the driver.

"Follow her."

"You mean... follow her?"

"If she heads to the pawnshop, give her all the herbs and offer her a ride back to the Duke Mansion," Xie Xuanmo instructed, adding one more directive. It was his way of repaying her for saving his life.

Mo Yi, the driver, didn't dare ask further questions. With a nod, he swiftly followed Chi Rongyan.