Disease rights policy

The villa is full of spring, and the mountainside is lush and green. At dusk, the sky is adorned with the glow of sunset, and the air is filled with a sweet fragrance.

Qiao Ran changed her clothes and went to the pavilion with a bright and cheerful expression. The golden light shone on the person in the pavilion, and the setting sun cast a long shadow on her. Her hair was loosely tied up, and she wore an unusual sky-blue robe, making her look like a hermit in the mountains.

Chen Jiu turned around and saw Qiao Ran approaching with a smile. Even in a simple moon-white dress, she looked charming and alluring.

“I told Mu Xiang to help you rest, but you still can’t stay still,” Chen Jiu said with a smile, his hands moving without stopping as he gathered the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the table and put them aside, inviting Qiao Ran to sit down.

Upon seeing each other again, both of them felt a sense of shock, as if they had survived a disaster. Qiao Ran leaned closer to Chen Jiu and saw that he looked much better. Mu Xiang told him that he had been going out more often recently, something he hadn't done in previous years, which was why his skin was tanned.

"I'll have Elder Qu take a look at you later. After going through all this, I'm afraid you might have some injuries that you might not even realize you're careless."

Qiao Ran plopped down, pretending not to hear. She was perfectly healthy. She glanced at the brush and inkstone beside her and said, "Writing something?"

“I just wrote this to calm my mind when I had nothing to do,” Chen Jiu paused for a moment before looking at Qiao Ran carefully and said, “That day, when I learned that you hadn’t returned from the snowy region, I couldn’t sleep for many days. My habit of practicing calligraphy became even stronger, and I would sit at my desk until dawn.”

Qiao Ran's hand, which was casually resting on the edge of the table, suddenly clenched. She wanted to ask something, but when she opened her mouth, she felt that she was being unrealistic, so she swallowed it back and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry for making everyone worry."

Chen Jiu seemed to press his brow, then said with utmost sincerity, "You went all the way to the snowy region to help me find the Moon Fox Relic. If anything happens to you, I will be at peace with myself."

Qiao Ran's previously carefree thoughts were suddenly jolted back to reality. She had been deluding herself. It turned out that Chen Jiu's painstaking efforts to find her and his sleepless nights were not only out of worry, but also out of guilt.

Fortunately, he didn't ask those cheesy questions. He almost thought that Chen Jiu liked him and wanted to make things clear to him, so as not to end up hurting her.

I really think too much.

Qiao Ran felt inexplicably relieved. She took out a small box from her bosom and pushed it in front of Chen Jiu, saying mysteriously, "Chen Jinzhou, open it and take a look."

Chen Jiu tapped the surface of the box lightly with his well-defined fingers, a slight smile playing on his lips, neither surprised nor pleased. "I guess it's a relic."

Qiao Ran said dejectedly, "How did you know without even opening it?"

“Wu Yang and the others failed to bring back the Moon Fox, let alone find the relic. Everyone thought you were swept away by the blizzard and disappeared into the depths of the snowfield. No one dared to believe that you could bring the relic back.” Chen Jiu said calmly, a layer of gratitude in his eyes. “Qiao Qiao, thank you.”

Chen Jiu didn't open it to look at it. He felt that this gift, given by Qiao Ran, was too expensive for him to accept, regardless of the sentiment behind it. Although Qiao Ran was traveling with the people from Tuoyue Pavilion, in his eyes, Qiao Ran could never be the same as Wu Yang and the others.

The thief was a treasure lover. He had people investigate Qiao Ran carefully, compiling a list of all the treasures she had stolen from the mansions when she was the second-in-command. In a way, Qiao Ran was a treasure lover who couldn't take her eyes off any treasures she saw.

This Buddha's relic is extremely rare in the world, and Qiao Ran gave it to him without hesitation.

Chen Jiu's heart was touched, and his fingertips curled up almost imperceptibly. When he looked up again, they had returned to normal.

Qiao Ran was happy to give the gift, but she didn't take credit. "The relic was originally something that Tuoyue Pavilion was looking for for you. I was only able to get it by chance with everyone's help. You don't need to thank me."

The real credit goes to Wu Yang and his group. When the name Tuoyue Pavilion was mentioned, the smile on Qiao Ran's face gradually faded.

"Then I'll accept it." Chen Jiu didn't stand on ceremony anymore, after all, he really needed anything that could prolong his life, and he had to survive first.

Qiao Ran stopped thinking about the sad things and lazily slumped half her body on the table. "Hurry up and accept it. Be sure to keep it safe. Don't let any thieves steal it. You probably won't find another one anywhere in the world."

Chen Jiu raised an eyebrow. "That little thief was able to break into my house and steal things. Apart from the infamous 'Ghost Hand,' I really can't guess who's that capable."

Qiao Ran was now tired of taking the blame, so she perked up as soon as she heard this. She twitched her lips and said, "Chen Jinzhou, let me tell you, if you lose this, you really can't blame me. A gentleman loves money, but he earns it in a proper way. I won't take anything that belongs to you."

"Yes, you almost took me with you." Chen Jiu chuckled.

The atmosphere in the pavilion instantly became lively. As the setting sun sank, the guards lit the lamps in the detached courtyard one by one.

Qiao Ran was amused by Chen Jiu, "We became friends after our fight. If time could turn back, I might still rob you once."

Chen Jiu smiled.

"This time I'll be much gentler, I wouldn't dare let you suffer any more harm," Qiao Ran said, opening her arms and feeling the evening breeze. She closed her eyes and said comfortably, "Chen Jinzhou, I'm repaying the debt I owed you when I robbed you. I still have a pot of snow soup. I brought it from the snowfield to Jin-Chu, crossed the East Sea, and traveled back to Shu. I kept it all for you, except for the one to prolong Yuehu's life."

The moment Qiao Ran opened her eyes, Chen Jiu looked away, the darkness and depth in his eyes vanishing completely. He said, "Qiao Qiao, you don't owe me anything. I've never felt that you owe me anything."

Qiao Ran didn't speak. She said that the past was the past and that her relationship with Chen Jiu was due to misfortune. But every time she saw Chen Jiu's sickly appearance, she always felt a sense of guilt that she couldn't shake off. Although she didn't want to admit that she owed Chen Jiu anything, she did.

"I'm just not feeling well," Qiao Ran said, looking up at the crimson sky. "Mu Xiang and Guard Xie both said you've been doing very well lately. A few days ago, when the weather was warm, you even went out riding a horse?"

Chen Jiu nodded, "It's a pity, I'm not good at riding, so I still have to get the guards to lead me."

Qiao Ran chuckled, turning her gaze back to Chen Jiu's face. She had been staring at Yu Hong in the sky for too long, and the lingering shadow in her eyes hadn't faded, so it all lingered on Chen Jiu's face. She felt that the usually serene Chen Jiu also possessed a unique charm, and couldn't help but laugh, "Riding a horse isn't suitable for you, it's too bumpy. Let Xie Laoshi lead you, he'd probably be more than happy to do so."

Chen Jiu praised her, "You're really good at comforting people."

Qiao Ran whistled contentedly, "I brought Little Moon Fox back. It's been in a bad mood lately, all listless. Once it's in a couple of days and its spirits are up, I'll let it out for a stroll in the yard. It's very friendly to people."

"A cub of the moon fox?" Chen Jiu heard from Zhou Mu that Qiao Ran had brought back a little fox in her bundle.

“Yes,” Qiao Ran nodded, “Moon Fox couldn’t hold on and passed away on my way back. My son left it with me to take care of. Its eyes were as round as grapes, and it was quite adorable.”

Chen Jiu didn't ask how Yuehu died, but it was definitely related to the relic in front of him. He said, "Then I'll have someone find some food for Yuehu and take good care of it. Yuehu has a long lifespan, and the cubs usually need more than half a year to become strong enough to run fast."

Qiao Ran agreed. She didn't know what Yuehu liked to eat along the way, so she tried different ways to feed it. She bought more of whatever it ate the most. Fortunately, the little guy wasn't picky about food.

"By the way," Qiao Ran looked up, "I saw everyone busy tidying up when I passed by Qinyuan earlier. Do you have any friends coming over?"

Judging from the elaborate decorations worn by the maids, the person receiving guests at the villa must be a young lady, so Qiao Ran asked out of curiosity.

Chen Jiu said, "A Ning is coming."

Qiao Ran asked, "Who is A Ning?"