Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Luo An took out two cups, then took out a pot of wine, filled it up, and placed one cup of wine opposite him.

Xu Sheng supported himself as he walked over and sat down, downing the drink in one gulp: "One more cup, I'm dying of thirst."

Xu Sheng drank three cups in a row, and after regaining his senses, he picked up the bowl and wolfed down his food. Luo An sat opposite him, slowly savoring his wine.

Xu Sheng put down his bowl: "I'm not full."

Luo An took out a bowl of rice from the food box, and after he finished eating, he took out another bowl.

Xu Sheng laughed heartily: "No need."

Xu Sheng took the wine pot and poured himself a drink: "Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, what parents would be willing to abandon such an excellent child like me? Your father must have killed them and taken me away. Now that they are dead, there is no way to prove it, and I cannot kill you to vent my anger based on my own delusions."

Luo An remained unmoved.

Xu Sheng said, "You really don't plan to go and pay respects to your mother? There's a birthday plaque hanging on the acacia tree on Xuanzhi Mountain. Your uncle said it contains a secret about you."

Luo An put the bowls and plates into the food box, walked to the door, raised his hand to stop Xu Sheng who was following behind him, and closed and locked the door.

Xu Sheng shook the door: "What are you doing?"

Luo An didn't look back and quickly disappeared into the darkness. When Luo An returned, Nian Yao was throwing the book she was holding onto the table: "White reeds in pure bundles, a maiden like jade, graceful and unrestrained... What is all this about?"

Luo An suppressed a laugh and handed her a book.

Nianyao took it: "Jiang Feng Collection? What is this? I'm sleepy, I'll read it another day."

Nianyao took the book into the room. Luo An casually picked up the Book of Songs from the table and sat on the bed, slowly flipping through it: ...Shuer tuotuo xi! Wu gan wo shuai xi! Wu shi mang ye fei!

Luo An recalled their conversation from earlier that day: "Don't you know how to turn off the lights?" "That's the only way." He finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, the laughter dispelling the day's unpleasantness.

Early the next morning, Liu Lin brought Xu Sheng to the dock, where Qin Jiu and several of his brothers were waiting on the boat. Xu Sheng looked around and saw a person standing by the acacia grove; judging from his figure, it should be Luo An.

The day and night of imprisonment had no effect on Xu Sheng. He hopped lightly onto the boat and said, "Thank you for personally escorting me, Ninth Brother. Goodbye, Uncle Liu."

As the boat set off, Xu Sheng stood at the stern and waved to Luo An from afar. He then cupped his hands into a megaphone shape and called out, "Little brother, big brother is leaving."

The person standing by the woods immediately headed towards the direction of Xianzhou Academy. Xu Sheng laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Qin Jiu said, "Young Master Xu has a broad mind, which is very rare."

Xu Sheng said, "Life is short, like a blade of grass in spring. We should be more open-minded. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that I don't look like him, I would have suspected that my mother gave birth to twins. Now it's all the same. I can't find any evidence to treat him as an enemy, and he doesn't want to treat me as family."

Qin Jiu said, "Young Master may seem cold, but he is actually soft-hearted."

Xu Sheng said, "It's clear that he holds a high position in your hearts, no wonder Uncle Ming went to great lengths to marry Nianyao to him."

The Wudong Ferry was right in front of them. Qin Jiu handed him a box: "This is for you, young master."

The rectangular box wasn't large. Xu Sheng stood up and said, "Since I've already given it away, there's no reason to take it back. I'm leaving now, until we meet again."

Before the boat even reached the shore, Xu Sheng leaped gracefully ashore and disappeared into the distance without looking back.

Luo An changed Nan Fei's dressing, removed the white cloth from his head, and left him only wrapped in a single layer of clothing. Nan Fei felt much better and praised, "Young Master is truly a divine doctor; I feel much better today."

With no broken bones or serious injuries, the superficial wounds naturally healed quickly. Luo An was tidying up his medical kit and collecting the used white sheets when Nan Fei pulled the blanket over him: "Why are you staring at men like that?"

Luo An turned around and saw Nian Yao with her arms crossed, leaning against the door.

Nianyao scoffed, "I've seen at least eight thousand men shirtless, if not ten thousand. What's so attractive about someone as pampered and fair-skinned as you?"

Nan Fei pulled the blanket over his shoulders and wrapped it tightly around him: "I don't care how many you've seen, but my innocence cannot be ruined."

Nianyao scoffed: "Innocence? You still have an innocence? Is the top courtesan of Fengchun Pavilion not beautiful enough, or are you incompetent? If you're not beautiful enough to be the top courtesan, then you're incompetent? No wonder you and General Yuan Feng didn't consummate your marriage?"

Nanfei reached out and threw the pillow at him.

Nianyao took the pillow and said smugly, "I've even looked at Luo An, so what's wrong with looking at you?"

Nanfei looked at Luo An suspiciously.

Nianyao said, "You don't believe me?"

Luo An finished tidying up and walked towards the door, pushing Nian Yao towards the exit. Nian Yao clung to his shoulder and cried out, "I didn't just see him shirtless, I saw him from head to toe..."

The door slammed shut with a bang, making Nan Fei's hand tremble, and he was stunned for a long time.

Luo An walked out of Nanyuan, with Nian Yao following behind him arrogantly: "Can't we even speak the truth? As the saying goes, a gentleman is open and honest, a true man dares to take responsibility for his actions, and so on..."

Luo An stared at Ziwei in the courtyard without moving. Was he trying to poison her and make her mute? Nianyao instantly cowered: "Uncle Liu seems to be calling me..."

Nianyao darted towards the front yard like a mouse, just as Qin Jiu was coming through the moon gate. Seeing that they were about to collide, Nianyao quickly dodged to the side.

Nianyao ran too fast and dodged too hastily, tripping over her left foot with her right and falling sideways with a cry of pain.

Qin Jiu helped her up: "Chief, are you alright? Should we let the young master take a look..."

Nianyao limped forward, clutching her back, and said through gritted teeth, "I'm fine... I'm fine... I'm fine..."

Qin Jiu watched Nian Yao walk away, then turned around and saw Luo An standing silently beside him. Even Qin Jiu was startled: "Young...Young Master, Young Master Xu didn't accept Yunzi, so you can keep it and continue using it."

Qin Jiu and Luo An hadn't finished their game of chess when Liu Lin came over and said, "Young Master, the Chief said he accidentally twisted his back and went back to his room to rest. It seems quite serious. Would you like to finish this game and go see him?"

Luo An hesitated to place the chess piece in his hand for a long time, and finally threw it back into the chess box and got up.

Nianyao lay on the bed, clutching her aching back and staring at the ceiling, her expression one of great pain. Hearing the door open, she immediately relaxed, forcing a smile as she greeted, "Hello, Dr. Luo."

Luo An stood by the bed with his hands behind his back, watching her with a gaze that left her nowhere to hide. Nian Yao's smile slowly froze, and she simply threw off the covers and lay flat on her back: "I twisted my waist."

Luo An sat on the edge of the bed and opened the cloth bag in his hand. Nian Yao screamed and rolled to the inside of the bed: "I don't want needles! I don't want needles!"

Nianyao pulled the blanket over herself tightly, her face contorted in a grimace as she confronted him. Luo An took out a silver needle, and Nianyao cowered and retreated further.

Luo An said, "It doesn't hurt."

Nianyao stared at him: "What?"

Luo An said, "It doesn't hurt."

Nianyao then remembered that Luo An could speak: "Why did you pretend to be mute before?"

Nianyao looked puzzled, seemingly expecting an explanation. Luo An stared at the wall for a while, then put the silver needles back into the bag, rolled it up, and turned around…

Nianyao quickly said, "Hey hey hey... don't go... keep pricking me, I'll let you prick me, okay?"