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That afternoon, Mu Xingyi taught Li Qingqing to recognize several types of traditional Chinese herbs, and even guided her through preparing a few standard medicinal prescriptions.
“Qingqing, this formula helps nourish and replenish blood. It’s good for you girls to drink a couple doses after your period, especially when you’re feeling weak,” Mu Xingyi said as he handed her two packets of herbs.
Li Qingqing took them a bit shyly. She looked closely and saw ingredients like ginseng, white peony root, and angelica—common herbs for blood and qi replenishment. She remembered how severe her period cramps were each month and wondered if traditional medicine might help with that too.
Blushing, she asked, “Shifu, for menstrual cramps… would drinking Chinese medicine help alleviate the pain?”
As a professional physician, Mu Xingyi had no hesitation addressing her question. He answered sincerely and openly, “Yes, it can help. I’ve treated many patients with dysmenorrhea before. With gradual conditioning, the pain usually goes away. Qingqing, are your cramps quite severe?”
Perhaps it was Mu Xingyi’s calm and professional demeanor that reassured her, but Li Qingqing no longer felt shy about such a personal topic. She nodded firmly. “Pretty bad. When it gets intense, I can’t do anything at all.”
Mu Xingyi thought for a moment and said, “In that case, I’ll take your pulse later. Based on your condition, I’ll prepare a custom prescription to try.”
Li Qingqing nodded excitedly. She had never imagined her intense period pain could actually be treated through traditional medicine. Every month had felt like a battle between life and death—now, finally, there was hope for relief.
Soon, it was nearly time to clock out. There weren’t many patients today, so after work, Mu Xingyi insisted on taking her to dinner at Linglong Pavilion.
“Qingqing, I already had lunch with you, so you can’t ditch me tonight. Your Shifu’s all alone and doesn’t want to head home so early,” he joked.
Li Qingqing instinctively wanted to decline, but since he said it like that, she didn’t have the heart to refuse. She checked the time—only 6 p.m. If they finished dinner and headed back, it’d be just about 8. That would still give her time, so she agreed.
They drove to Linglong Pavilion, an upscale restaurant with elegant Chinese-style décor. The cuisine was a fusion of Chinese and Western influences, drawing on the best of both and infused with Linglong Pavilion’s unique signature. It had developed its own distinct style, and its clientele were typically wealthy and distinguished.
Mu Xingyi had reserved a private room in advance. During the meal, Li Qingqing didn’t forget to ask him more questions about traditional medicine. She truly wanted to master it as soon as possible—otherwise, she’d always be at the mercy of others.
After dinner, Mu Xingyi went to the front desk to settle the bill while Li Qingqing said she needed to visit the restroom, asking him to wait for her in the lobby afterward.
As she exited the restroom, she suddenly bumped into a tall, slender figure head-on. She stumbled and nearly fell, but when she looked up, she saw that it was Lu Yan.
Hands in his pockets, Lu Yan gazed down at her with an aloof expression, his eyes cold and sharp as they sized her up. The look in his eyes made her feel instantly guilty, like she’d been caught doing something wrong.
“You… What are you doing here?” Li Qingqing stammered, unable to help herself.
Lu Yan looked down at her, his sharp brows and icy gaze always giving off a distant, unapproachable aura.
At the sight of her flustered face, he frowned and asked coldly, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”
A broke student like her showing up at a place like Linglong Pavilion—wasn’t that far more suspicious?
His question made her even more flustered. She stumbled over her words, unsure how to respond. She knew he had always been biased against Mu Xingyi, and if he found out she had come here to eat with him, he’d definitely be angry again.
Her eyes darted as she quickly made up a lie. “I came with a friend. She invited me to dinner.”
She didn’t even dare look him in the eye as she said it.
“Friend? Which friend?” Lu Yan slowly stepped closer, his striking face nearly touching the tip of her nose. She could even catch a faint whiff of his unique, icy scent.
“T-This is my personal matter… there’s no need for me to report it to you, President Lu, is there?” Li Qingqing didn’t even know where her sudden courage came from, but she actually dared to snap back at him.
Lu Yan let out a cold laugh, “Heh.” This woman dared to talk back to him? Just as he was about to teach her a lesson, her phone suddenly rang. He glanced down and caught a glimpse of the name “Mu Xingyi” on the screen.
Before he could seize the evidence, Li Qingqing quickly turned off the screen and hid her phone behind her back.
Her flustered reaction didn’t escape Lu Yan’s notice. He had already seen Mu Xingyi in the lobby earlier. He’d wondered who the doctor was dining with—so it was this Miss Li. Did she really think she could hide this from him?
Lu Yan’s anger surged. His eyes frosted over with a glacial gleam as he stared at her.
“Li Qingqing, I suggest you get a grip. You’re my woman now. You’d better learn some boundaries—I do have limits.”
At that point, there was no use pretending anymore. Li Qingqing took a deep breath and spoke plainly, “We were just having a regular dinner. Don’t overthink it.”
“Then you’re done eating now?” Lu Yan’s gaze was intense, like a predator eyeing a startled rabbit.
Li Qingqing nodded. “Mm. We’re done. I’ll go tell my mentor, then I’ll leave—”
But before she could finish, Lu Yan grabbed her wrist and said coldly, “No need to tell him. You’re coming with me.”
Without giving her a chance to protest, he dragged her outside.
His eyes were sharp as blades, glinting with a bone-chilling cold. Li Qingqing felt a chill run down her spine. Not daring to go against him, she could only let herself be pulled out of Linglong Pavilion. On the way out, she didn’t see Mu Xingyi in the lobby—but her phone wouldn’t stop vibrating in her hand.
When they reached the entrance, Shen Xing had already parked Lu Yan’s black Bentley out front.
Taking advantage of Lu Yan walking around to the driver’s side, Li Qingqing quickly sent a message to Mu Xingyi:
【Master, something came up. I had to leave first.】
As soon as she sent the message, her phone finally stopped buzzing. But then, another message came through:
【Qingqing, what happened? Why did you leave so suddenly?】
Just then, Lu Yan opened the car door and got in. Li Qingqing hurriedly flipped her phone over, afraid he might see it.
“Drive. Go to Wanhua,” Lu Yan instructed.
Shen Xing silently started the engine and pulled out toward Wanhua Apartments.
Inside the quiet car, Li Qingqing sat stiffly by the window, trying not to make any sudden moves. The air conditioning was on, and she could still faintly smell Lu Yan’s distinctive icy cologne. Her heart was pounding—she could tell Lu Yan was genuinely furious this time.
She sneaked a glance at him, only to see him impatiently tugging at his tie. A second later, their eyes met—his gaze was cold and sharp as ice. Startled, she quickly turned away.
But before she could react any further, a shadow suddenly loomed over her, pressing down—fast and hard.