C23 They Were All the Same!
Upon the old man's return, his tone shifted dramatically, silencing everyone—no one dared to utter a word. Those nearby attempted to support him, but the old man forcefully shrugged them off, having witnessed their behavior firsthand.
The audacity of these individuals was astounding; they had the nerve to mistreat Yaen Feilong, who was an esteemed guest of the family. Reflecting on the events of that day, even the old man himself couldn't bear to confront the situation. And now, to think they would have the gall to speak out about it—had the Chu family truly lost all sense of leadership?
"Who just tried to send Yaen Feilong away? Step forward! And who are these two? Who allowed them to enter our home to treat Chu Yue'er? Were my previous words meaningless?" The old man's presence alone was enough to intimidate everyone gathered. It was a family matter to deal with such hereditary illnesses, and it should have remained private.
The best outcome would be to resolve the issue internally, but instead, they seemed intent on broadcasting their family secrets. If word got out about the Chu family's genetic history, how would the outside world perceive them? They hadn't considered the implications at all. Indeed, it seemed that in the old man's absence, chaos was inevitable.
Thankfully, the butler had informed the old man ahead of time, prompting his early return. Otherwise, the situation might have spiraled out of control. To his dismay, he arrived to find Yaen Feilong being marginalized within his own home. The old man was livid—it was a classic case of "when the cat's away, the mice will play."
They had clearly underestimated the old man's authority.
"Yaen Feilong, I owe you an apology on behalf of these people. They failed to recognize your worth and didn't know who you were," the old man said, approaching Yaen Feilong and offering a sincere apology. At over seventy years old, it was a rare sight to see him apologizing to someone so much younger, leaving everyone speechless.
The two who had been causing a commotion were equally stunned. My goodness, what was happening? The old man had never shown such deference to anyone before, and yet this young man had received such an honor.
"Let it go, let's get a move on and prepare the medicine. I've brought a new prescription, and I'm certain that Chu Yue'er will recover after taking it."
Yaen Feilong paid no mind to the old master's apology, nor to the stares of onlookers, and instructed the servants to quickly brew the medicine, as the situation was a matter of life and death.
Unlike before, the servants didn't hesitate; they took the ingredients and promptly set to work in the kitchen, boiling the herbs for a full hour.
Soon, an unpleasant odor wafted from the kitchen. To save time, the servants had taken the initiative to use the second-floor kitchen.
The scent elicited looks of disdain from everyone present, who pinched their noses and murmured to each other in distaste.
"Dad, what is this person concocting? It smells terrible; surely it can't be any good," said the woman, who was none other than Yaen Feilong. It dawned on her that she was speaking about the old master's second daughter-in-law.
She was Chu Yue'er's aunt.
And one of those vying for the Chu family's inheritance.
"What do you know? Do you even understand who Yaen Feilong is? If you're clueless, then keep your mouth shut," the old master chided, worried that the woman's words would cause upset.
Dressed to the nines in her glamorous, branded attire, the woman felt indignant at being scolded behind the old master's back, and she directed her irritation towards Yaen Feilong.
She was determined to find an opportunity to give Yaen Feilong a piece of her mind. Carefully, she prepared to administer the medicine to Chu Yue'er, hoping to catch him off guard.
The old master watched his granddaughter with anxiety. He had never expected the family's genetic condition to hit Chu Yue'er the hardest, causing her to faint without warning, and this time her condition seemed more severe than ever.
On his way back, he had pondered the situation. Chu Yue'er's recurring illness was certainly not as straightforward as it appeared; there had to be more to it.
Now that this had befallen Chu Yue'er, he couldn't just look the other way. He was resolved to address the issue.
As the servant finished administering the medicine, Chu Yue'er slowly came to. Her head felt heavy and foggy, as though someone was tugging at her, trying to pull her into another realm. At that moment, Chu Yue'er had no desire to struggle against the presence within her.
Somehow, Chu Yue'er found her way back. Opening her eyes groggily, she saw her grandfather, who had just called, and Yaen Feilong, whom she had summoned. A slight smile graced her lips; she knew she had made it back from the brink.
"Grandfather, you've returned from overseas. I'm sorry for the inconvenience," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. She hadn't wanted to trouble her grandfather to come all the way from abroad, yet here he was, arriving just in time before she nearly passed away.
"My goodness, Yue'er, I'm so relieved you're awake. I feared I might never see you again. Thank goodness Yaen Feilong brought you back. What use were those incompetent doctors?" The old man scolded the bespectacled men standing nearby. They had confidently promised to cure Chu Yue'er, yet they had achieved nothing. It was a good thing they were well-compensated by the Chu family annually.
The old man was so incensed he thought their salaries would be better donated to charity. The doctors, especially the one with glasses, appeared indignant. He couldn't fathom how anyone could be revived by mere herbs. "This kid must have added something illicit to the medicine. How could traditional Chinese medicine alone have such an effect? Since when did it become so potent?"
This doctor was renowned in the city and had received numerous accolades. He was baffled and frustrated that his expertise had been bested by Yaen Feilong's simple herbal concoctions. Moreover, he had been managing the young lady's condition all along, and just as she was on the verge of death, Yaen Feilong swooped in and miraculously saved her. If that wasn't a slap in the face, what was?