I was just playing tricks, how come I became Bai Yueguang

Qinyuan.

Shen Zhuang stood by the window of the flower hall, silver shears in hand, carefully trimming the withered branches of a pot of purple peonies. The afternoon sun filtered through the latticework, casting dappled shadows on his dark blue Hangzhou silk gown.

Zheng Song walked quietly into the flower hall and stood three steps away with his hands hanging down. After Shen Zhuang had cut off the last of the dead branches, he stepped forward and whispered, "Master, over in the Chrysanthemum Garden... Master Lan Xi and Master Qing Yu are fighting."

The scissors paused slightly on the flower branch, Shen Zhuang slowly put down the silver scissors, and wiped his fingertips with a plain silk cloth: "What is this for?"

Zheng Song's expression changed slightly. He took a step forward and whispered in Shen Zhuang's ear in a low voice.

Shen Zhuang was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Zheng Song. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the sound of slow footsteps in the corridor.

"Grandpa."

Shen Lanxi appeared in front of the moon-shaped gate, his dark suit still crisp, only slightly loose at the collar. As he approached, he brought with him a gust of clear pine fragrance, as if he had just passed through the depths of the courtyard.

What a coincidence!

Shen Zhuang's gaze lingered on Shen Lanxi's rolled-up sleeves for a moment, and he pointed at the rose chair in front of him and said, "What's wrong? You look so unhappy."

Seeing this, Zheng Song nodded slightly at the two of them, then turned and left the flower hall.

Shen Lanxi followed his instructions and sat down on the rose chair, his posture still calm, but a hint of melancholy still lingered between his brows. He raised his hand and inconspicuously adjusted his slightly loose collar. This subtle movement made the fresh, red marks on his knuckles even more noticeable.

Shen Zhuang picked up the celadon teacup beside him and gently fiddled with the floating leaves. "Your hands are broken. How deep is the hatred between you two?"

Nothing in Shen Garden could be hidden from the old man's eyes if he wanted to know. Furthermore, the conflict had just occurred outside Ju Garden, leaving no cover, so the news couldn't be kept secret. Shen Lanxi knew this, so he rushed to Qin Garden to explain the situation.

He spoke slowly and steadily, "Grandpa, Shen Qingyu has been behaving erratically and unruly lately. If you don't discipline him, he will become a serious threat to the Shen family."

"Cough cough..." Shen Zhuang almost choked and covered his mouth, "No...it's not that serious, right?"

Shen Lanxi frowned slightly, his stern expression more like the head of the family than Shen Zhuang. "He kidnapped the royal family in Country S, beat up his brother on the way back, and now he rushes into his sister's yard to intimidate her out of resentment. Grandpa doesn't think this is serious?"

"What did you say?" The old man raised his head, his eyes sharp, and his previous leisurely and gentle demeanor was gone. "Did that brat Qingyu go to Juyuan to cause trouble?"

When Zheng Song reported, he only said that the three young masters seemed to have a grudge against each other, but did not mention that Shen Qingyu was causing trouble.

Shen Lanxi said, "He kicked Zhang Ma out of the hospital, frightening her so much that she came to Lanyuan to ask me for help."

"How ridiculous!" Shen Zhuang put down his teacup with a thud. "Damn boy, are you really rebelling?! Xiao Huaer just said a few truths, and he still dared to come and threaten me? Where is he? Where did he die? Zheng Song, tie that bastard up for me!!"

*

Dr. Meng, carrying a heavy yellow pear wood medicine box, had just stepped through the moon gate of Qinyuan Garden when he heard the old man's full-throated roar from the direction of the flower hall. He paused suddenly, turned sideways very naturally, and quietly retreated into the shadow of the corridor.

After so many years in Shen Garden, he had already figured out the old man's temper. At this time, avoiding him was the most correct way to deal with it.

Just as he was about to take a detour through the side corridor, his eyes strayed towards the nearby Lanting Pavilion. Inside, a thin young man leaned against the railing, his head bowed, intently reading a scroll. The afternoon sun filtered through the bamboo curtains, casting tiny specks of light on his plain robe.

Doctor Meng recognized him. He was a young master from a branch of the Shen family. He was quiet and obsessed with medicine, especially ancient medicine.

He hesitated for a moment, then changed direction and slowly walked towards Lanting. The sound of his footsteps startled the young man, who raised his head, revealing a face that was still childish but calm.

"Doctor Meng." Shen Zhili stood up politely, still holding the yellowed thread-bound book in his hand.

Doctor Meng's eyes fell on the book in his hand. On the cover was the elegant regular script of "Compendium of Materia Medica". He smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice: "Are you reading "Compendium of Materia Medica"? It's a good book. It describes the medicinal properties concisely."

A glimmer of recognition flashed in the boy's eyes. "Doctor Meng also understands Chinese medicine?"

Dr. Meng did not answer. He gently placed the medicine box in his hand on the stone bench and took out a newer book with a significantly different binding from his side pocket. The cover was printed with "Introduction to Practical Western Medicine".

"When I was young, like you, I believed that what our ancestors passed down was the ultimate truth of heaven and earth," Dr. Meng said calmly, handing the book over. "Later, as I traveled extensively and saw more, I realized that medicine is vast and diverse. Traditional Chinese medicine is profound and subtle, but Western medicine also has its strengths. This booklet is simple and covers some Western anatomy and physiology. If you have time, you might want to take a look."

The young man did not hide his thoughts. He looked at the Western book in front of him and did not reach out for it. It was obvious that he was a little resistant.

Dr. Meng didn't rush him, but looked at him gently and said, "I'm not asking you to abandon Chinese medicine. But, in addition to observing, smelling, asking, and palpating, if you could understand a little bit about how bacteria cause disease and why inflammation occurs, you might be more clear-headed when prescribing medicine. Nowadays, most people use Western medicine for treatment, so it would be good for the patients if you knew more."

The boy's eyes lit up slightly. He took the book with both hands and bowed deeply to Dr. Meng: "Thank you, Dr. Meng, for your guidance."

While the two were talking, the conversation in the flower hall had ended, and Shen Lanxi walked down the stone steps steadily.

Doctor Meng nodded and picked up his medicine box. "You need to get up and move around after reading for a long time to avoid hurting your eyes." Then he turned and walked along the corridor towards the flower hall.

When passing by the corridor, he happened to meet Shen Lanxi face to face. Dr. Meng greeted her with a smile before entering the flower hall.

*

When Shen Lanxi returned to the Orchid Garden, his face was still grim. He sat on the Arhat bed under the window, the dusk falling on his deep eyebrows and eyes, casting a mixture of light and dark shadows.

Gao Zhi stood cautiously outside the study door. To avoid bad luck, he stretched his neck and called out from a distance: "Master, we have some clues about Shu Mu's identity."

Shen Lanxi raised her eyes and gave him a cold look.

Gao Zhi shuddered inexplicably, closed the door, and quickly stepped forward, covering his mouth and whispering, "This Shu Mu was originally from a well-off family in Nanwan. But her parents' business failed, they were in debt, and they jumped to their death. She was forced to drop out of school and work to make a living. By chance, she was spotted by Mr. Shen at a company's ribbon-cutting ceremony and became his mistress."

Shen Lanxi leaned back in her chair, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the rosewood tabletop. "Have you checked Shu Mu's parents?"

"I checked, and there's no problem. Not only Shu Mu's parents, but also the Shu family's three generations ago have been checked, and they have names and surnames."

Seeing that Shen Lanxi didn't reply, Gao Zhi frowned and said, "Master, from this perspective, Shen Guiling has nothing to do with the Bai family?"

"Not necessarily." Shen Lanxi suddenly thought of something, and her fingertips paused in the air. "If the Shu family is fine, there may be another possibility..."

He raised his eyes, a dark current flashed in his eyes, "Gao Zhi, please make arrangements immediately. I want to go to Nanwan in person."

......