Chinese Medicine to Replenish Qi and Blood

After Pei Jiaqian gently pressed the brakes, Ye Qingpu slowly woke up.

He looked around. A river lay to the left, mountains to the right... Had they left Harbor City?

"Brother, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."

As Pei Jiaqian spoke, he touched Ye Qingpu's earlobe, unfastened his seat belt, and got out of the car, heading toward a small bungalow in the distance.

Ye Qingpu surveyed the surroundings through the window. It looked like an abandoned... breeding farm? And a fairly large one at that.

Every young master from a wealthy family might have a doctor friend, but Ye Qingpu had no idea whether those young masters also had friends who ran major breeding operations.

His head still felt heavy and foggy. He sat cross-legged in the seat, curled up beneath the blanket.

Ye Qingpu looked at the display screen and realized that Pei Jiaqian had turned on the heater.

No wonder he hadn't felt too cold.

Warmth rose in Ye Qingpu's heart, but he also touched his lower abdomen with lingering fear.

If he had been an ordinary person, that bastard Pei Louxuan would have died ten thousand times over.

But although Pei Louxuan was a bastard, he was no ordinary man. On the contrary, he had once been heaven's favored son.

And Pei Jiaqian's biological second uncle.

With a silent sigh, Ye Qingpu watched as Pei Jiaqian emerged from the bungalow with a figure dressed in black.

The man following behind Pei Jiaqian wore a black mock-neck shirt and a necklace around his neck.

As he came closer, Ye Qingpu recognized the necklace as a Tiffany men's limited seasonal edition, valued at around three hundred thousand.

He was clearly loaded.

"Brother."

Pei Jiaqian opened the car door on Ye Qingpu's side and introduced the roguish man beside him.

"This is my youngest uncle, Pei Wensu. He's only a few years older than me, and he practices traditional Chinese medicine."

"Hello, Mr. Ye. I've heard much about you."

Pei Wensu held out his hand, his voice lazy, as though he had just woken up.

"Hello."

Earring, wolf-tail haircut, shaved eyebrow... What an individualistic Chinese medicine doctor.

Ye Qingpu shook his hand politely, unable to understand why Pei Jiaqian had brought him here.

"Uncle, take a look at Brother, then prescribe something for him. If you don't have the medicine here, I'll go back to the city and look for a Chinese medicine shop."

As Pei Jiaqian spoke, he stepped aside.

"Take a look at what?" Ye Qingpu was confused. Why did he suddenly need to see a Chinese medicine doctor?

"Isn't Brother in poor health? And with the gland deformity, I thought I'd get you some Chinese medicine to replenish your qi and blood." Pei Jiaqian smiled.

"..."

Ye Qingpu stared at him in shock.

Pei Jiaqian had just... mentioned it...?

"Forgive my presumption, Mr. Ye."

Pei Wensu raised a hand in a yawn, then placed two fingers on Ye Qingpu's wrist to take his pulse.

Ye Qingpu did not feel comfortable struggling. He could only hold his arm stiffly, his feelings a tangled mess.

He could not figure out when Pei Jiaqian had found out.

Why did he look so calm about it?

Did he not think gland deformity mattered...?

No. If he thought it did not matter, he would not have brought him to his youngest uncle.

Then what was he thinking...

Did he feel guilty?

He remembered Pei Jiaqian saying that before.

Fear and sorrow unconsciously colored Ye Qingpu's brow.

Pei Jiaqian saw it all, and his eyes darkened.

"It's nothing serious. Mr. Ye is simply far too weak and does need some nourishing. I happen to have some herbs here. Little brat, take them back and brew them for him."

As Pei Wensu spoke, he shuffled lazily back toward the house in his slippers.

"Brother, sit for a while. I'll be right back."

"Mm, go ahead."

Ye Qingpu answered softly.

Pei Jiaqian closed the car door and followed Pei Wensu inside.

"So this is that big brother you've been pining after?"

Pei Wensu rummaged through boxes and cabinets, signaling with his eyes that Pei Jiaqian was not allowed to touch the bass on his sofa.

"Mm." Pei Jiaqian stood obediently to one side. "I've been thinking about him for years."

"Does Big Brother know?"

"I'm not sure. Second Uncle knows. I won't let Brother get involved with the Household."

"You really are devoted. Why does our Pei Household seem to produce nothing but hopeless romantics?"

Pei Wensu smiled helplessly.

"What about you? Is there anyone you like? Second Grandpa is probably pressuring you already, right?" Pei Jiaqian asked.

"He is, but not yet." Pei Wensu paused, then added, "Though there is someone I care about quite a bit. A few days ago, I got drunk and seem to have accidentally given him a temporary mark."

"Uncle, are you some kind of playboy? Marking someone without marriage in mind is sexual harassment."

"I didn't do it on purpose. We're sort of acquaintances? He really... you know, some people's pheromone scent just dances all over your exact type. It smelled so good that I couldn't hold back." Pei Wensu sounded somewhat annoyed with himself.

"Your temporary mark could trouble him for three years... You should go apologize." Pei Jiaqian sounded helpless.

"I've been thinking about it—" Pei Wensu drawled as he handed Pei Jiaqian a packet. "Here. Buy some filters yourself, brew it when you get back, and give him one bowl a day. Don't let him drink too much."

Pei Jiaqian accepted it and thanked him. Just as he was about to say goodbye, Pei Wensu stopped him.

"What?" Pei Jiaqian looked at the item his youngest uncle handed him, confused.

"It'll help your body. You brat... You're in heat, aren't you? Even though an enigma can control its pheromones at will, no matter how tough your body is, you can't keep abusing it like this. You've got a high fever, so hurry home, wash up, and sleep. Good thing your grandfather doesn't know your father caused you to lose your pheromones, or you'd all be dead."

Pei Wensu shoved the item into Pei Jiaqian's hands, then stretched, sat down on the sofa with one leg bent, and began plucking at his bass.

"So noisy."

Pei Jiaqian laughed softly. No wonder he had heard that the abandoned breeding farm had been converted into a shredding factory.

"Get out, brat. You don't understand music. No taste at all."

Pei Wensu threw a slipper at him.

After properly saying his farewells, Pei Jiaqian returned to the car with the medicine.

Ye Qingpu stared blankly at him. The smell of Chinese herbs felt somewhat out of place in the fresh-scented car.

He silently sighed, curled up in the seat, and turned to look out the window.

"Brother."

"Mm?"

Ye Qingpu turned back on instinct. Seizing the moment, Pei Jiaqian leaned over and kissed the pale-lipped man.

"Don't overthink it. Once we get home, I'll tell you everything, okay?"

Lingeringly, Pei Jiaqian rubbed Ye Qingpu's reddened earlobe, then, as if asking to be scolded, lightly bit his chin.

"Are you a dog or something..."

Ye Qingpu winced and raised a hand to pat his head.

"Tsk..."

Pei Jiaqian leaned back in his seat and sighed dramatically.

"The mountains are green, the waters are clear, and the air is so good. I really want to screw Brother out in the wild~"

Ye Qingpu agreed with the first half. At the second half, his face flushed as he twisted Pei Jiaqian's ear, refusing to let him talk nonsense.

"Got it, got it~ I won't say it anymore~"

Pei Jiaqian looked at him pitifully, begging for mercy.

Ye Qingpu had not used much force. He let go helplessly, thinking of how Pei Jiaqian was in a special period, yet had traveled around with him, specifically driving one or two hours to bring him to someone he trusted for Chinese medicine that would replenish his qi and blood... Ye Qingpu's heart suddenly ached for him.

He was clearly still so young, yet he took better care of others than Ye Qingpu did. Ye Qingpu gave a self-mocking smile.

"We're going home. Once we're back, Brother will reward me."

Pei Jiaqian started the car as he spoke.

"Reward you with what?"

Ye Qingpu looked at him helplessly... It could not be that thing again... Last time, his hands and mouth had both been involved... and it had taken so long...

"Let's keep it a mystery. I'll tell you once we're home. Brother can start looking forward to it now~"

"I'm not looking forward to it."

Though Ye Qingpu said that, a faint smile shimmered in his eyes.