You Can Play Like That, Too?

The thought flashed through her mind and was gone, but the more An Yan considered it, the more workable it seemed.

She could not help it. Her younger sister simply had too many wild ideas.

And those ideas were wonderfully creative. Every single one seemed feasible to her.

It would be a shame to give up even one, so she might as well put them all into practice.

That solved one problem, but a new one arose: she did not have enough hands!

An Yan felt she was only an ordinary person, without three heads and six arms. She could not possibly juggle everything, so she needed to find an assistant.

But she could not rush this. If she was going to find someone, they had to be reliable.

An Yan made up her mind.

Jiang Nuan made several more rounds of the shop, offering a few suggestions for improvements.

Then she returned to the palace.

The next day, as soon as court ended, Jiang Nuan headed straight for the courtyard residence. Today was the day Divine Physician Gu would treat her fourth sister-in-law, and she could not forget it.

Knowing how hopelessly Gu Qingfeng lost his way, Jiang Nuan had even thoughtfully arranged a carriage to pick him up.

After entering the residence, Jiang Nuan saw An Yan helping Yun Shining, who could barely walk, outside.

"Nuannuan, you're here! We finally got a little sunshine today. Shining said she wanted to come out and bask in it, so I helped her outside."

An Yan offered Jiang Nuan an explanation. She called it helping, but she had practically half-carried Yun Shining outside. Fortunately, An Yan regularly did physical work, or she might not have been able to manage it.

"Thank you for saving my life, little sister. If you ever need anything from me, Yun Shining, just say the word. Cough, cough, cough..."

Yun Shining spoke in a hoarse voice. She had barely managed two sentences before she began coughing.

"All right, don't talk if your throat hurts. Rest for a while first."

Seeing her cough, An Yan took a cup of warm water from a maid nearby and held it to Yun Shining's lips.

Yun Shining drank several mouthfuls from the cup in An Yan's hand, then looked apologetically at Jiang Nuan.

"Sister Yun, there's no need to be so polite. It just means fate brought us together. Stay here until your injuries heal. If you want to keep staying afterward, you're welcome to."

Jiang Nuan spoke courteously. This was her fourth sister-in-law, after all. She had to be a little more polite to leave a good impression.

Meanwhile, An Yan looked at Yun Shining and began turning things over in her mind.

From what she knew of Jiang Nuan, anyone who could make her this polite should have a trustworthy background. Was she not short of an assistant? There seemed to be a ready-made candidate right before her.

A prickling sensation crept down Yun Shining's back. For some reason, the way An Yan looked at her gave her the creeps.

But looking at Yun Shining, as frail as a tender willow swaying in the wind, An Yan sighed inwardly. She was an invalid right now and could not help.

Whether by coincidence or because Heaven had heard An Yan's thoughts, Gu Qingfeng arrived at the residence just then.

"Little girl, I'm here! Where's the patient you wanted me to examine?"

Gu Qingfeng began calling out the moment he entered.

Then he surveyed the people in the courtyard, his gaze settling on Yun Shining's head, and he could not help laughing aloud.

"Well, well, isn't this little Yun? How did you end up like this? Don't tell me you're the patient I'm seeing today?"

Jiang Nuan looked from Gu Qingfeng to Yun Shining and asked in surprise, "Grandpa Gu, Sister Yun, do you two know each other?"

The sight of Gu Qingfeng gave Yun Shining a headache.

Cloud Cloud Manor and Divine Physician Valley had always maintained ties. Gu Qingfeng was even on rather good terms with her parents.

Now that she had sneaked away from home, she had run into an acquaintance of her parents. Just thinking about it made her head hurt.

"Of course we do, haha!"

Yun Shining spoke with a wry smile.

As Gu Qingfeng laid out his instruments, he said with a hint of mockery, "The last time I saw little Yun, she was bouncing around full of life. How did you end up like this? I hear people from Cloud Cloud Manor have been searching everywhere for someone lately!

"If your parents saw you in this state, you could forget about ever setting half a foot outside Cloud Cloud Manor again."

Yun Shining pouted.

She had not wanted to run away from home either, but her parents were far too protective, terrified that she might suffer even the slightest harm.

They had not even wanted her to learn martial arts, afraid it would be too exhausting. She had only won their permission by first crying, then making a scene, and finally threatening to hang herself. Besides, even after leaving, she wrote home every few days to let them know she was safe!

"Grandpa Gu, could you keep this a secret for me? Please?"

The thought of her parents' nagging made her head feel ready to burst.

"Keep it a secret? That depends on my mood. But speaking of which, little Yun, this business of you running away from home..."

With a thoroughly serious expression, Gu Qingfeng began lecturing Yun Shining.

Listening to him, Jiang Nuan could hardly keep from laughing. If she remembered correctly, a certain Divine Healer standing before her could also be considered a runaway!

[Grandpa Gu looks so funny lecturing my fourth sister-in-law with such a straight face. Right now, his poor, long-suffering disciple is riding hell for leather toward Capital City, searching for a certain rebellious Divine Healer who refused to listen and insisted on coming here alone!]

Jiang Nuan's inner voice mercilessly pulled the rug out from under Gu Qingfeng.

An Yan nearly laughed aloud. Although she managed to hold it in, the corners of her mouth kept curling upward.

Yun Shining, meanwhile, burst out laughing.

Gu Qingfeng shot Jiang Nuan an angry look, but seeing her utterly bewildered expression, he could only sigh.

Suddenly, he remembered what Chi Hengji had told him. Was this not a perfect opportunity to test it? So he said:

"Little girl, do you..." know where my disciple is now?

He wanted to ask where his disciple had gotten to, but halfway through, the words stuck in his throat. Even though he gulped in air, he still could not catch his breath.

I... I won't say it, all right?!

Once Gu Qingfeng abandoned the thought of saying it aloud, he slowly returned to normal.

Only after taking a little while to recover did he return to normal.

Gu Qingfeng's eyes lit up. Something this miraculous actually existed? What was he to do? This was rather fun!

"Little girl, you..."

Hey, I'm going to mention her inner voice.

Hey, now I won't!

Gu Qingfeng played back and forth several times, seemingly enjoying himself immensely.

An Yan and Yun Shining, who knew what was going on, could no longer hold back their laughter. Only Jiang Nuan remained completely in the dark.

*[They say physicians can't heal themselves. Could Grandpa Gu have some hidden ailment? Why does he keep having fits one moment and acting normal the next? Should I find a doctor to examine him?

Looking at his condition, he might need more than a doctor. Maybe he needs a spiritual master too. What if he's possessed?]*

Just as Jiang Nuan was wondering whether he had a hidden ailment or was possessed, Gu Qingfeng finally finished playing and returned to normal.

"All right, let me take little Yun's pulse and see what condition she's in."

Once the subject turned to medicine, Gu Qingfeng became much more serious.

Watching Gu Qingfeng change expressions faster than someone turning the pages of a book, Jiang Nuan silently added a split personality to her list of guesses.