It’s Not That Mysterious 

In the end, Chen Miansheng left the butcher stall carrying a large bundle of meat. 

Originally, Gu Wu was supposed to come along and help, but before leaving the medicine hall, Chen Miansheng used the same excuse as last time—about taking a side street—to persuade Gu Wu to go home first. As for the little cat, she couldn’t help with something like this, so the job of carrying the meat fell to him alone. 

A young man, worried that Chen Miansheng’s body might not be able to handle the load, caught up to him and asked if he needed a hand. 

When stopped, Chen Miansheng was briefly taken aback. It took a while of mismatched gestures and exchanges before he understood what the young man was trying to say. 

His brows relaxed, and a mix of surprise and warmth appeared on his face—Fei Yan even saw a touch of being pleasantly caught off guard in his expression. 

Still, Chen Miansheng shook his head, thanked the young man, and continued on with his little cat. 

Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the long period of care from Fei Yan, his health was no longer as frail as when she first arrived. Now, even with so much meat in hand, he only panted slightly on the way back to the courtyard. 

After storing the meat in the ice cellar, Chen Miansheng looked around at the empty house, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and said softly, “I’ll go buy some red paper cuttings and window decorations tomorrow—otherwise, it just doesn’t feel like New Year’s.” 

Fei Yan fully agreed and rubbed her fluffy little head against the corner of his robe, thinking, So you do realize how gloomy this little courtyard usually is. 

Of course, Chen Miansheng had no idea his little orange cat was silently roasting him again. Sensing the affection in her gesture, he smiled and bent down to rub her head. “Looks like Little Orange thinks the same, right?” 

Fei Yan blinked and wagged her tail. 

So the next day, Chen Miansheng brought back a thick stack of red paper cuttings, lanterns, and other decorations from the market. 

With Gu Wu’s help, the entire small courtyard turned bright red—it finally started to feel like the New Year. 

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gu Wu also helped Chen Miansheng thoroughly clean the house inside and out. Fei Yan sat to the side watching him work, occasionally shaking her head. 

When Chen Miansheng noticed his little cat acting like a supervisor as he moved between rooms, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why’s Little Orange staring at Xiao Wu and shaking her head like that?” 

Caught in the act, Fei Yan didn’t feel the least bit guilty. She simply licked around her lips ever so slightly. 

Could she say that Gu Wu’s fussing was even more thorough than a housekeeper in modern times? 

She obediently rubbed against Chen Miansheng’s robes again. Knowing the two of them were busy, and that she couldn’t be of help, she simply trotted off to the courtyard to play in the snow, leaving the paths clear for them to walk through. 

Soon, most of the house was cleaned up—only Chen Miansheng’s study remained. 

Following his instructions, Gu Wu gathered the scriptures and books Fei Yan had previously messed up, stacked them neatly in his arms, and looked to Chen Miansheng for direction. 

Chen Miansheng pointed to the desk and said, “Just put them there.” 

Gu Wu responded and set everything in place. His gaze lingered on Chen Miansheng’s face for a brief moment, as if he had just remembered something, his expression hesitant to speak. 

Chen Miansheng was flipping through a scripture and glanced sideways, saying casually, “What did I tell you before?” 

Gu Wu was slightly taken aback. 

It was only then that he remembered the first time he had been brought to see Chen Miansheng. 

Back then, Chen Miansheng was dressed in elegant robes, his presence noble and refined—he looked like someone who would always remain aloof and above others. Yet the very first thing he said to him was: 

“There’s no need to be reserved in front of me. Say what you want to say, and do what you want to do.” 

Thinking back on this, Gu Wu smiled faintly and gestured with his hands: 

“I just suddenly realized that your illness seems to have improved a lot. It’s been a long time since I heard you cough. I’m sincerely happy for you, Young Master.” 

After watching him finish, Chen Miansheng raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. 

Indeed, no one understood his condition better than he did. 

This strange illness would flare up frequently during winter, especially in the early mornings when the coughing was at its worst. But lately, not only had it eased up during the day—even those usual intense spells in the morning seemed to have vanished. He used to feel exhausted just walking a few steps, but recently, even that had improved. 

“Maybe winter is coming to an end,” he said. 

“I’ve been by your side for years now, Young Master, and I can see the changes in your health,” Gu Wu said with a slight smile. 

“I wonder if you still remember Tu Xuan.” 

At the mention of Tu Xuan, Chen Miansheng’s brows twitched ever so slightly. 

“Of course I remember.” 

“I recall Tu Xuan once saying that although many patients came to the medicine hall for the same prescriptions, their illnesses miraculously healed anyway. Now, even your health has improved. Perhaps heaven truly is watching over you.” 

Chen Miansheng paused mid-page. He squinted slightly, as if deep in thought. 

From where he sat near the doorway, he could just catch a glimpse of the courtyard through the small gap. 

The little orange cat was happily playing in the snow. As if sensing his gaze, she lifted her fluffy tail and immediately darted over, leaping straight into his arms without hesitation. 

Chen Miansheng’s expression softened as he gently cradled her in his arms. There was still a glimmer of snow clinging to the tip of her nose—an adorable sight. 

He lowered his eyes slightly and brushed the snow off with a warm fingertip. 

Then Fei Yan heard him murmur, 

“Things aren’t usually that mysterious. There must be something behind all this that we don’t yet know.” 

Mysterious? What’s mysterious? 

She tilted her head curiously and looked up at Chen Miansheng with her big, dark eyes blinking, as if asking, “What are you two talking about?” 

However, Gu Wu soon respectfully made a hand gesture that meant “Young Master is absolutely right,” and the topic ended there. 

Once everything was in order, Gu Wu left the courtyard. 

Chen Miansheng didn’t stop him. As usual, he set up the medicine pot over the stove to decoct today’s herbs, then turned to prepare dinner. 

Seizing the moment, Fei Yan nimbly hopped up onto the stove. Pressing her furry paw onto the medicine pot, a faint blue glow flickered at the center of her pad as she mixed a few new herbs into the pot. 

The boiling water churned with steam, quickly blending the new herbs with the old ones. Unless one looked very closely, the change would go unnoticed. 

Satisfied with her work, Fei Yan leapt down from the stove and slipped into the inner room, waiting for Chen Miansheng to call her to dinner. 

When Chen Miansheng turned back with the meat in hand, the little orange cat was nowhere to be found. His gaze lowered slightly as he walked over to the pot. His dark eyes fell gently. 

The herbs needed to be boiled for at least half an hour, and the scent had yet to fully emerge. Chen Miansheng pressed his lips together and calmly extinguished the flame. 

The boiling soon came to a stop. He placed a cloth over the handle and moved the pot to a spot with better light. 

The liquid had already turned a faint green. Chen Miansheng stirred it gently with wooden chopsticks to get a better look at the contents. 

As soon as he saw what was inside, his pupils contracted slightly and his eyes narrowed. 

Although he wasn’t well-versed in herbal medicine, he could still tell that a few unfamiliar herbs had been added to the pot. 

Because they looked too similar to the usual ones and the decoction process was so long, by the time the spent herbs were discarded, everything had blended together—he hadn’t noticed anything unusual until now. 

In a daze, Gu Wu’s gestures from earlier resurfaced in his mind, along with the memory of that unmistakable orange silhouette of his cat. 

Chen Miansheng furrowed his brows slightly and closed his eyes, as if something was bothering him. 

After a long moment, he quietly set the pot back onto the stove, his expression returning to normal.