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Wei Lan was busy cooking every day and often felt overwhelmed. If she spent all her time preparing meals, how would she have the energy to study medicine? Suddenly, an idea struck her—Liu Yao! If she invited Liu Yao to be the cook at the clinic, wouldn’t that be the perfect solution?
That day, when Wei Lan returned to the Liu household, Liu Yao happened to be there. Wei Lan had previously told Liu Yao to pick up some wild boar meat, and she had come as scheduled. Wei Lan had also specially made some wild boar jerky to extend its shelf life, as there was no refrigerator at home. Since smoked and cured meats weren’t the healthiest options, she chose to make jerky instead. She even set aside a portion for Jia Bao.
As soon as Liu Yao arrived, she got busy preparing a bone broth, adding some pork offal. Her culinary skills were outstanding, and the dishes she made were exceptionally delicious. Even Liu’s father, who had already eaten at the private school, was drawn in by the enticing aroma and couldn’t resist drinking two bowls of soup.
After dinner, Liu Yao and Wei Lan retreated to the room to chat privately. Liu Yao seemed a bit uneasy, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Seeing this, Wei Lan couldn’t help but tease her. “What’s wrong? You’re usually not this shy. Just say what’s on your mind!”
Although Liu Yao had experienced more of life, she still found it difficult to speak openly with Wei Lan, an innocent young maiden. After hesitating for a long time, she finally gathered her courage and whispered, “Sister, the undergarment you made for me with metal support—I can’t make one like it no matter how hard I try. Your craftsmanship is so good… could you teach me someday?”
Wei Lan looked at Liu Yao’s embarrassed expression and quickly guessed what was going on. She playfully asked, “Does your husband really like it?”
Before she could finish speaking, Liu Yao immediately covered Wei Lan’s mouth, whispering anxiously, “Keep your voice down!”
Wei Lan burst into laughter, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. She never expected the usually carefree Liu Yao to have such a bashful side. She had originally designed the undergarment just for comfort, but it seemed it had turned into a tool for spicing up romance—what an unexpected surprise. Patting Liu Yao’s shoulder, Wei Lan chuckled, “Alright, alright, I’ll keep my voice down. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely teach you.”
After a few laughs, Wei Lan grew serious. “Sister, our clinic is opening soon. I’d love for you to come cook for us. What do you think?”
Liu Yao’s heart leapt with excitement. She could tell that Wei Lan truly cared about her. Helping Wei Lan also made her happy. However, thinking of her in-laws, she sighed and shook her head helplessly. “I’m really sorry, but my mother-in-law would never allow it. I’ve been married for nearly three years without having a child, so I have no real status in my household.”
Wei Lan felt a pang of sympathy for Liu Yao and gently reassured her. “Sister, not getting pregnant isn’t just your fault. It could be you, it could be him, or it could just be bad timing between the egg and sperm.”
Liu Yao was baffled. “What do you mean?”
Wei Lan patiently explained using traditional Chinese medicine principles. “Pregnancy is the result of the combination of both partners’ essence, qi, and spirit. It’s never just one person’s issue.”
For the first time in her life, Liu Yao heard someone say that infertility wasn’t solely the woman’s fault. She wasn’t sure if it was true, but Wei Lan’s words carried a certain power that made her believe them. The guilt and pressure in her heart eased a little. “Sister, thank you for enlightening me.”
Liu Yao suggested, “Maybe you should check the slave market? You might find some useful helpers there.”
At the slave market, people who had lost their freedom due to poverty, war, or crime were often sold. Wei Lan made a mental note to visit the next day.
As they continued talking, time slipped away, and the sky darkened. Just then, Ming Yi knocked on the door, interrupting their conversation.
Liu Yao opened the door. “What’s the matter?”
Ming Yi reminded her, “Sister, it’s late. You should head home.”
Liu Yao was about to leave, but Wei Lan tugged on her arm. “Sister, why not stay the night? It’s been so long since we last talked.”
Liu Yao hesitated, biting her lip, then nodded.
Seeing that she had decided to stay, Ming Yi told Wei Lan, “If anything happens, just call me.”
Since getting married, Liu Yao hadn’t had an episode in three years, but she still felt uneasy. She warned Wei Lan, “I sometimes talk in my sleep. Though it hasn’t happened in years, if I start rambling, wake me up. Don’t let me do anything foolish.”
Sleepwalking? Wei Lan thought they were making a big deal out of it. She nodded knowingly. “So this is why you never wanted to stay over. Don’t worry, I’m a doctor—I know all about this. It’s called sleepwalking.” She reassured Liu Yao, telling her to rest easy.
That night, as Wei Lan drifted into deep sleep, she was suddenly startled awake by loud laughter—”Hahaha!”
Her eyes flew open. Liu Yao, still lying in bed, had her eyes tightly shut but was laughing in her sleep. The laughter was so loud it startled Wei Lan. How could someone sleep so soundly while laughing like that?
She was about to go back to sleep when Liu Yao suddenly spoke in a deep, masculine voice: “Wei Lan! I’ve finally possessed this girl’s body!”
Wei Lan’s blood ran cold. She scrambled out of bed, stumbling and crawling toward the door, desperately trying to escape—but the door wouldn’t budge.
That eerie male voice spoke again. “Don’t you remember me? I gave you the Elixir of Soul Fragrance on the Bridge of Helplessness!”
Wei Lan trembled uncontrollably, feeling sheer terror. She crouched down, covering her ears, chanting, “I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you!”
But the voice pierced through her defenses. “I never expected a general surgeon like you to be such a coward! Do you know how much effort it took to possess this body? I just want to chat with you.”
He knew she was a general surgeon? Wei Lan’s panic lessened slightly. At first, she had been terrified, but now she was curious. His words were oddly familiar, as if they had met before. Gathering her courage, she asked, “Do you know me?”
The voice chuckled. “We met in the underworld!”
“The underworld?” Wei Lan was puzzled. “Are you saying I died and went there?”
“Exactly. When you fell off the mountain, you should’ve died. But a careless underworld official took the wrong soul. They had to send you back. I gave you the Elixir of Soul Fragrance, so you retained some memories. Gong Yunrong, however, lost hers completely.”
Gong Yunrong? Could that be the original owner of this body? Wei Lan suddenly recalled the jade pendant inscribed with “You Rong.” Maybe it was true. The voice didn’t seem to be lying. “You said they sent me back—shouldn’t I have returned to the 21st century? Why am I in the Ming Dynasty?”
The man patiently explained, “It’s all the same. You and Gong Yunrong are reflections of the same soul in different timelines. Since you came here, she went to your original world.”
Wei Lan finally grasped the truth. “So I can never go back?”
The voice confirmed, “Two of you cannot exist in the same timeline.”
Wei Lan pondered deeply. Although she was in another era, at least her family in the 21st century wouldn’t have to grieve her death. Since she had a new body now, she had to cherish it. Strangely, she no longer felt fear. This man hadn’t harmed her—he had even given her important answers.
She turned to look at Liu Yao, who remained motionless except for her lips. Grateful, Wei Lan said, “Thank you for telling me.”
The man laughed. “If you’re thankful, do me a favor.”
Without hesitation, Wei Lan replied, “If it’s within my ability, I’ll do it.”
“Good! But you’re not ready yet. I’ll find you when the time comes. I have to go now. Take care.”
Before she could ask more, he vanished.