Matchmaking (1)

She smacked her lips and rolled over. She was so damn sleepy.

After three days and nights without sleep, Dongfang Minghui had practically needed toothpicks to prop her eyelids open. Despite his plump figure, the Dean had treated Nan Fei without stopping for even a moment.

Something wet followed her as she rolled over, sticking to her like a shadow.

Smack.

The whole world fell silent.

A smile curled Dongfang Minghui's lips. Now she could finally get some decent sleep.

The little creature she had knocked over lay on its back, kicking all four legs wildly. Its rather boxy body kept it from rolling back over for quite some time.

Kick, kick, kick.

It accidentally kicked the quilt, tangling its hind legs in the bedding. Using that leverage, it successfully flipped over. Hehehe! It kept crawling toward Dongfang Minghui's face.

The little creature sprawled across her face and licked her, moving from her nose to her mouth.

Smack.

Dongfang Minghui slapped it away.

In her dream, a huge wolfhound chased her. As she ran, it suddenly pounced and pinned her beneath it, then licked her over and over.

Good heavens, the dream nearly scared Dongfang Minghui's soul out of her body.

Suddenly, she felt as though something heavy were pressing down on her chest. Unable to roll over, she moved her fingers and forced herself to wake from the dream.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a wet little tongue licking her chin.

"Holy shit!"

Startled, she rolled straight off the bed, dragging the little creature down with the bedding.

"Mommy, Mommy!"

Dongfang Minghui watched a rather ugly little thing scamper toward her on four short legs, a tiny, undeveloped tuft of a tail behind its rump. Halfway over, its legs tangled in the bedding, and it took a spectacular tumble.

Could this thing be that giant egg?

To confirm her suspicion, she immediately sent her consciousness into her storage ring. Bottles and jars lay toppled everywhere. The giant egg was nowhere to be found; only shattered eggshells and a little viscous, unidentified liquid remained on the floor.

"Why do you look so strange?" Dongfang Minghui picked it up and hefted it. Goodness, this was something else. No wonder, considering she had raised it in Spirit Liquid. It was heavy, with some real weight to it.

It was just a little ugly, Dongfang Minghui thought regretfully.

"Mommy, Mommy!"

Dongfang Minghui pried its mouth open and looked inside. There were a few little tooth marks along its gums, probably because it had yet to grow up. "Toothless."

"Mommy, Mommy!"

The beast responded cheerfully, sealing its own tragic name.

"Since you're so happy about it, you'll be called Toothless from now on."

Toothless had hatched, but Dongfang Minghui had no idea what kind of creature it was. After thinking for a moment, she decided her brain was not up to the task, probably because she had not slept enough.

"Come on, let's go back to sleep."

Without a care, Dongfang Minghui hugged Toothless and rolled onto the bed. One arm pinned it down while the other cradled it, and she went right back to dreaming.

Toothless struggled briefly, discovered it could not escape, and fell fast asleep in the same position.

Yong Xing brought Nan Fei back to Dongfang Minghui's courtyard, where Nan Nan stayed nearby to care for him. Naturally, she had not forgotten the immense kindness the Dongfang sisters had shown them. She told Nan Fei her decision and received his wholehearted support.

When Dongfang Wanyu emerged from seclusion and opened her door, she saw Nan Nan hovering outside her ninth sister's room with a tray of food. "What's going on?"

"Well, I made a few dishes and wanted her to try them."

Dongfang Wanyu approached the door and listened, then smiled. "She's still asleep. Give those to me. I'll take them inside in a little while."

Nan Nan hesitated. "She seems to have been sleeping for almost three days. Could something be wrong?"

Three days?

"She's fine. Go back and look after your brother. Leave this to me."

"All right."

Dongfang Wanyu pushed the door open. Inside, she found Dongfang Minghui sprawled haphazardly across the bed, her clothes disheveled and half the bedding on the floor. Another outward roll would probably send her straight off the bed.

They had shared a bed before, but witnessing her sleeping posture and prowess anew left Dongfang Wanyu unsure whether to laugh or cry.

She was just about to move her farther into the bed.

A little creature wriggled and wriggled until its head emerged from behind Dongfang Minghui's back. It opened its mouth at Dongfang Wanyu, baring its teeth in a fierce display.

Dongfang Wanyu froze briefly. She had only been in seclusion for a while, not even a full month. Where had this little thing come from?

She picked it up by the scruff of its neck. Toothless kicked its legs wildly and glared at her for ages, but could not escape her grip. It simply opened its mouth and bit the finger Dongfang Wanyu extended toward it. Unfortunately, with no teeth in its mouth, its bite did not hurt at all.

"This is probably the giant egg you found in the Dongfang Family's forbidden grounds," Qing Mo said in her Soul Sea.

Dongfang Wanyu was surprised. "We tried everything before and couldn't hatch it, didn't we? How did Ninth Sister manage it?"

The mention of Dongfang Minghui irritated Qing Mo so much that he simply stopped responding.

"Mommy, Mommy! There's a big meanie! Help-" Toothless whimpered and cried until Dongfang Minghui's head throbbed. Suddenly, her eyes flew open. "Toothless."

Toothless covered its mouth with two paws.

"So its name is Toothless." Dongfang Wanyu gave a cool smile.

The heroine's sudden appearance in her room startled Dongfang Minghui, driving away every trace of sleepiness. "Seventh Sister, why are you here?"

Dongfang Wanyu tossed Toothless straight into her arms. "Nan Nan said you'd been sleeping for three days, so I came in to see how much longer you intended to sleep."

All her talk of cultivating had drifted away like clouds in the face of sleep.

Dongfang Minghui laughed awkwardly twice and hurried to fasten her clothes. "Seventh Sister, you know I didn't get a single good night's sleep during the three whole days Brother Nan's legs were being treated, so-"

"His legs are healed?"

"Yes." Dongfang Minghui immediately realized the heroine was asking about Nan Fei's condition. Did this mean they had feelings for each other?

"The Dean said Brother Nan needs several months of proper rest, at least three. To make it easier for the Dean to check his recovery whenever he wants, I suggested Nan Nan and her brother shouldn't rush back to the Alchemy Institute just yet." Dongfang Minghui grew a little excited.

Three months! What feelings couldn't blossom in three months?

Hehehe, I'm a genius.

Dongfang Wanyu did not care how long Nan Nan and her brother stayed here. Puzzled, she asked, "Ninth Sister, are you very happy?"

"Yes, of course I'm happy."

Dongfang Minghui answered without thinking. This way, she would no longer be the villain who stole the heroine's man, and none of that retribution would fall on her.

So next, she had to do everything possible to bring the heroine and Nan Fei together. Once the heroine had an outlet for her feelings, she would not be so frequently mercurial, Dongfang Minghui thought furtively.

Dongfang Wanyu's expression did not change, but her gaze darkened slightly.

"Do you like Nan Nan and her brother that much?" There was a hint of danger in Dongfang Wanyu's voice.

But the person busily imagining her future did not notice at all. The corners of her lips kept lifting. "Well, not really."

She did not care at all how the siblings fared. She only cared that, once the heroine fell in love with the men in her harem, she would have no energy left to bother with her.

Then she could go wherever she liked and live as freely as she pleased.

La-la-la-la, the future is beautiful.

Dongfang Wanyu gave her a sinister look. "Weren't you clamoring about setting up a stall before? Have you picked a location?"

Dongfang Minghui looked utterly dumbfounded. She had been busy, busy, busy since returning, then forgotten this important matter altogether.

"You got so busy you forgot, didn't you?"

For some reason, she felt as though the heroine was a little displeased.

"I asked the Dean before. He said I could do as I pleased." Dongfang Minghui certainly would not admit that she had traded a small favor with the plump old man before he allowed her to set up a stall.

"It's fine. I'll take you to look around this afternoon."

The Royal Academy did not regulate this sort of thing strictly. Many students hunted for treasures while out gaining experience, then sold their finds upon returning or exchanged them for things they wanted. Some did so privately, while others simply displayed their treasures on stalls.

Since this concerned her future income, Dongfang Minghui naturally went along with the heroine.

They looked around and found people from the Alchemy Institute selling pills at the junction between the Comprehensive Institute and the Pharmacy Institute, though there was only one person tending the stall.

"Let's take a look."

Dongfang Wanyu pulled her over to the stall and crouched down. A sparse assortment of the most common Foundation-Stabilizing Pills, Tempering Pills, Marrow-Cleansing Pills, and other pills lay on it.

Dongfang Minghui pointed at the Marrow-Cleansing Pills. "How many spirit stones does this cost?"

Without saying a word, the vendor held up five fingers.

Five spirit stones. Dongfang Minghui glanced back at the heroine, wondering whether that was expensive or cheap.

"Thank you. I'll take this." Dongfang Wanyu transferred five spirit stones to him using her jade token, then pulled Dongfang Minghui aside. "They're selling alchemical pills right outside the Pharmacy Institute, so they're clearly trying to poach customers coming here for medicine. You're selling medicinal pills. Although alchemy and potion-making are fundamentally different, your medicinal pills are somewhat similar in quality to their alchemical pills. To avoid disputes, let's look around the North Institute."

Dongfang Minghui did not mind, as long as she did not have to get the hell out of the Royal Academy.

However, the Royal Academy really was enormous. After walking for two hours, they were only halfway there. Dongfang Minghui could not help wondering whether going out to set up a stall every day would count as exercise.

"Ninth Sister, what are you thinking about?"

Dongfang Wanyu had been watching her all along. One moment she was grinning, the next she wore a miserable frown. Her emotions changed so quickly that Dongfang Wanyu could not get a grip on them.

"I was thinking that, if I go out to set up a stall every day, the time I waste on the road would be enough to make several more jars of medicinal pills."

"How could we possibly set up a stall every day? At first, we can try coming once every three days. Once we've made a name for ourselves, we can decide how often to come."

Dongfang Minghui looked at the heroine in admiration. While she was still worrying about how exhausting the walk was, the heroine had already devised a long-term plan for promoting their brand. What a terrifying brain.

"This is the Royal Academy's famous Lovers' Garden. Many couples come here when they have time. We'll sell our medicinal pills around here from now on." Dongfang Wanyu surveyed the area and finally settled on a spot at a crossroads.

Dongfang Minghui was a little bewildered. She was not selling couples' accessories. Why come all the way to a place overflowing with sweetness? To torment a lonely single dog like her?

"But, Seventh Sister, why are we here?"

Dongfang Wanyu glanced at her and only said, "I'll treat you to a good show in a moment."

A good show?

Before she could understand, the heroine took an animal hide out of her storage space and spread it on the ground, then brought out numerous bottles and jars from her ring. Each was labeled with the name of the medicinal pills inside.

"Seventh Sister, aren't these the medicinal pills I gave you?"

Dongfang Minghui hurriedly pushed the bottles and jars back into Dongfang Wanyu's hands. "I gave them to you, so they're yours. You can't sell them. Don't worry, I have plenty."

She kept digging things out of her storage space until she had set out more than twenty bottles.

Dongfang Minghui pulled the heroine down to crouch beside her. Blinking as she watched couples pass before them, she whispered, "Seventh Sister, do we need to call out to customers?"

Dongfang Wanyu smiled and shook her head.

Dongfang Minghui was like a ten-foot monk unable to reach his own head, utterly baffled as to what medicine the heroine was keeping in her gourd.

They did not have to wait long. Soon, a young woman hurried through the Lovers' Garden, supporting an injured man, her face full of anxiety. After passing them, she doubled back and addressed Dongfang Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui. "Hey, are you selling alchemical pills? Hurry and give me a Blood-Staunching Pill."

The young woman was impatient and exceptionally loud. The person beside her was injured, his abdomen still bleeding, leaving spots of blood all over the ground. It looked quite serious. Her shout attracted several groups of two or three people, who crowded toward them.

Dongfang Minghui stared dumbly. What's going on? Did the heroine arrange this?

"What are you standing there for? Hurry and help."

"Right, right."

Dongfang Minghui hopped over the stall and had the young woman lay him on the ground. She examined the spot he was covering with his hand. Besides blood, it carried an icy chill. "Was he stabbed by Ice Element spiritual power?"

No wonder he had lost so much blood. The wound had initially been sealed by ice, but as time passed and the ice melted, it could no longer remain hidden.

"Yes, miss, you have a sharp eye. My younger brother just fought an Ice Element Spirit Master. He fell for his trick and got hurt. Do you have an alchemical pill that can heal his injury?"

Dongfang Minghui was regretting not wearing her potionist's robes outside. Every mention of alchemical pills and Blood-Staunching Pills dealt her ten thousand points of damage.

"Don't distract me."

The young woman immediately had the sense to shut her mouth. She crouched obediently beside them, watching Dongfang Minghui press here and feel there, growing increasingly anxious.

"Seventh Sister, I think there's something strange about his wound. Can you help me remove what the Ice Element power left inside it?" Dongfang Minghui was pondering how to reach into the wound and extract the object. Should she use her hand? Or something else? She had brought medicinal pills and everything, but not her treatment tools.

Dongfang Wanyu immediately understood. She crouched down and used a little spiritual power, effortlessly drawing a sharp icicle out of his abdomen. Once extracted, it crumbled into fragments with bits of flesh clinging to them, looking quite horrifying. "You only need to use spiritual power to draw them out. I'll teach you how to use it when we get back."

"All right."

Dongfang Minghui quickly took out a porcelain bottle, crushed a medicinal pill, and sprinkled it over the gaping hole of a wound. It was so large that she had to crush five pills before she finished.

The bleeding soon stopped. Lying on the ground surrounded by spectators, the man let out a puzzled sound. "Sis, it doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore."

The young woman's eyes immediately widened. When they left the arena, her brother had complained of terrible cramping in his abdomen. Only after touching it had they discovered the bleeding. Every step brought heart-piercing pain, and the blood flowed faster and faster. That was how she had ended up supporting him in the alarming scene just now.

"Ladies, how much are these alchemical pills?"

Dongfang Minghui's face was nearly black. "I'm a potionist. These are medicinal pills, not alchemical pills."

Dongfang Wanyu, however, explained patiently, "My ninth sister made all these medicinal pills herself. They retain their spiritual energy very well, and even the Dean of the Pharmacy Institute has approved of them. If you trust us, you can buy a bottle to keep with you for emergencies."

Having mistaken their profession, the siblings were immediately a little embarrassed. The young woman grabbed the porcelain bottle in Dongfang Minghui's hand. "Miss, name your price. My brother looks much better than before. Whether they're alchemical pills or medicinal pills, anything that stops bleeding so quickly is good medicine."

Dongfang Minghui looked at Dongfang Wanyu. As a potionist who rarely left the Pharmacy Institute, she really did not know what spirit stones were useful for, much less what a single spirit stone could buy.

Dongfang Wanyu thought for a moment. "Three spirit stones per medicinal pill. Your brother used five just now, so that will be fifteen spirit stones."

Wow, that price seemed a little high. Fifteen spirit stones could buy a lavish meal of spiritual food at the academy, yet everyone still begrudged spending that much on a meal.

"Doesn't the young woman speaking look familiar?"

"You know, let me think. I've definitely seen her before."

As everyone talked over one another and pointed at them, Dongfang Minghui could not help edging closer to the heroine, then closer still. "Seventh Sister, have they recognized you?"

After staying indoors for a while, she had nearly forgotten the heroine's assessment before entering the inner institute. Wow, would they need to pack up and run in a moment?

The siblings also whispered to each other. The man held his abdomen. His bleeding had stopped, and they had removed the culprit from inside him. Pointing at Dongfang Wanyu, he said, "I remember her. She's the one who led us against those senior students."

His sister asked concernedly, "Are you sure these medicinal pills are effective? If they really work well, we'll buy the remaining five too."

"Ladies, we'll take these medicinal pills. Thirty spirit stones."

Dongfang Wanyu nudged Dongfang Minghui. Her jade token had been given to her by the plump old man. Besides recording the number of spirit stones she had, it also bore her Junior Potionist status. Unlike the Comprehensive Institute's tokens, hers had a spiritual herb emblem engraved on it.

"All right, thank you." Dongfang Minghui felt that going out with the heroine had broadened her horizons.

"Is she Qian Wanyu, the one who became famous after a single battle?" the young woman whispered while swiping her jade token.

Dongfang Minghui glanced back at the heroine and nodded with a smile. "Yes. Keep it a secret."

"Ah, I remember! It's Qian Wanyu!"

A sudden shout from the crowd immediately focused everyone's attention on Dongfang Wanyu. Dongfang Minghui could not help pressing a hand to her forehead.

Seeing everyone grow excited and surge toward them without restraint, Dongfang Wanyu immediately released her spiritual power to hold them back. "We're here today to sell potions and medicinal pills. The young woman beside me is a potionist recognized by the Dean of the Pharmacy Institute. If you feel unwell, you can ask her to examine you."

After taking first place, Dongfang Wanyu had vanished into thin air within the Royal Academy. Everyone speculated that she had entered seclusion to make a push for the top thirty on the Wind and Cloud Rankings.

Yet none of the many rumors circulating outside could match the excitement of seeing her in person-selling medicine.

"Junior Sister Qian, are these medicinal pills really as good as you say?" Someone picked up a porcelain bottle, opened it, and sniffed. Judging by appearance, the medicinal pills were not as round and smooth as alchemical pills, and they came in all sorts of colors. They looked rather strange, making it hard to feel reassured.

"Of course," Dongfang Wanyu guaranteed without the slightest doubt.

What happened next exceeded Dongfang Minghui's expectations. With that single, casual assurance, every porcelain bottle she had just put out was snapped up.

And the heroine's prices were anything but cheap: each porcelain bottle cost roughly twenty-five to thirty spirit stones. The number on Dongfang Minghui's jade token shot up again and again. Within two hours, their stall had been emptied.

"Seventh Sister, your name really does work wonders." Dongfang Minghui grinned foolishly. On her first day running a stall, she had ridden the heroine's protagonist halo and earned over five hundred spirit stones in no time.

Seeing her smile like a little fox, Dongfang Wanyu gently rubbed her head. "We did pretty well today. Let's go."

Dongfang Minghui beamed all the way home. Suddenly, she asked curiously, "Seventh Sister, that sister and brother just now weren't shills you hired, were they?"

Dongfang Wanyu asked with a perfectly straight face, "What's a shill?"

"Someone you specifically hire to put on an act."

"No, they weren't shills."

"Then how come they just happened to pass through the Lovers' Garden?"

"There's a large Martial Arena beside the Lovers' Garden. Many people who enjoy fighting like to challenge senior disciples ranked above them there. If they win, they receive a corresponding amount of spirit stones. It's a good way to earn them."

Dongfang Minghui couldn't help applauding the heroine. "Seventh Sister, have you been to the Martial Arena?"

Dongfang Wanyu glanced at her. "Shouldn't you know better than anyone whether I've been there?"

"..."

Dongfang Minghui scratched her head sheepishly. Ever since the heroine had moved into the courtyard, she seemed to have spent most of her time in secluded cultivation or accompanying her to Death Valley. Come to think of it, the two of them had hardly been apart.

Did that mean I'd made my presence felt enough? It looked like the heroine had forgotten what happened before.

Dongfang Minghui's mind began whirring again.

After returning to the courtyard, Dongfang Minghui saw Nan Nan watering the spirit medicines. She walked over and snatched the bucket from her hands. "Um, Nan Nan, this is my job. You can't steal it from me."

Nan Nan couldn't help stamping her foot. "Minghui, you saved my brother and me. Let me do something for you."

"Do you still consider me a friend? If you do, make us a nice meal."

She promptly sent Nan Nan away, then crouched alone before the patch of spirit medicines. "Have you had enough water?"

The spirit medicines immediately shook their leaves exuberantly. "No more, no more!"

Dongfang Minghui set the bucket aside and loosened their soil. She checked whether any of them were feeling unwell and took care of their problems.

"Has your little companion woken up yet?" Love Flower still refused to give up. Watching Dongfang Minghui treat these spirit medicines so well only made it more unwilling to accept things.

It felt that same wretched frustration of seeing such a fine cabbage rooted up by a pig.

"Not yet. Love Flower, you stay tucked in this corner every day, where the sunlight can't even reach you. Shall I move you so you can enjoy some sunshine?"

Love Flower could actually move on its own, but since she was being so thoughtful, it certainly wouldn't refuse. "All right. Just half an hour."

When Blue Star Dream saw her, it immediately extended a branch, wrapped it around her wrist, and nuzzled her affectionately twice. "Huihui, I want some sunshine too."

"Huh?"

Dongfang Minghui couldn't help covering her face. "Blue Star Dream, you're too big. I can't move you."

Moving it just once had turned heaven and earth upside down. The thought alone exhausted her.

Dongfang Wanyu sat on the stone stool the whole time, watching her tend to one plant after another. She certainly looked busy, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself and completely ignoring Wanyu's presence.

Sure enough, I need to keep her close and watch her.

The afternoon passed, and Nan Nan prepared a lavish table of dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted wonderful. Dongfang Wanyu spotted something unusual with a single glance.

"This meal must have cost quite a bit."

Every dish contained some amount of spiritual energy. It was a whole table of spirit food.

Dongfang Minghui paid no attention to that. She tasted a bite and smiled in contentment. "I never knew fish could be eaten like this."

The fish core was an energy core imbued with Water Element spiritual power. One bite felt like a stream of sweet spring water flowing straight down her throat into her stomach.

"Nan Nan, you must have put a lot of effort into this meal. But what about Brother Nan? Have you brought him anything to eat?" Dongfang Minghui asked between bites.

Nan Nan smiled. "Not yet. My brother said he can't eat these things for now."

Dongfang Minghui nodded. "Right, he can only have light food at the moment. You haven't made his dinner yet, have you?"

"No. Why don't I go make it now? It'll be ready for him by the time we finish eating."

"No, leave that to me. I'm a pharmacist, so I know better what he can and can't eat."

A brilliant idea suddenly popped into her head. Dongfang Minghui hurriedly shoveled in some food, took another couple of bites, and ran off.

"Hey, Minghui!" Nan Nan didn't even have time to stop her.

Dongfang Wanyu silently watched her retreating figure. Suddenly, the delicious food before her became hard to swallow.

"Nan Nan, sit down and eat. Since we're friends, there's no need to fuss. Ninth Sister is right. She's a pharmacist, so she must know best what Brother Nan should eat."

Dongfang Wanyu ate her meal distractedly.

She had just put down her chopsticks when she saw that familiar figure rushing over, pinching her earlobes as she ran.

"Seventh Sister, have you finished eating?"

"Yes."

"Come with me for a moment."

Dongfang Minghui took her hand and dragged her into the kitchen. She placed a bowl of porridge on a tray and handed it to Dongfang Wanyu.

"Seventh Sister, sorry for the trouble, but could you take this to Brother Nan Fei's room?"

Dongfang Wanyu froze, but accepted it nonetheless. "You made this for him?"

"Yes. Brother Nan Fei's injuries still need rest, so he can only have a little of this for now. I added a small amount of spirit medicine, though. It should be fine."

"You added spirit medicine?" And she even made it herself.

Dongfang Wanyu left the kitchen with an urge to overturn the bowl of porridge. In the end, she restrained herself. She wasn't so petty that she would take issue with a bowl of porridge.

"Miss Wanyu." Nan Fei still couldn't get out of bed and walk. His movements were confined to that single bed; he was either lying down or sitting up.

He leaned quietly against the bedside, reading for a while by the light from outside.

When he looked up, he saw Dongfang Wanyu standing beside him, holding a bowl of steaming porridge.

Dongfang Wanyu set the porridge on the table. Seeing that he couldn't move freely, she picked it up again and brought it before him herself. "The porridge is a little hot. There's some spirit medicine in it, which should help your recovery."

Nan Fei sniffed it and smiled. His already gentle face became especially attractive when he smiled. "Miss Wanyu, please thank Minghui for me."

Minghui. He said her name so familiarly.

Had something happened while I was in secluded cultivation that I didn't know about?

Dongfang Wanyu narrowed her eyes. "I'll tell her."

Dongfang Minghui was hiding outside, peeking in. How could the heroine be so clueless? I'd created such a perfect opportunity for her. Why couldn't she go over and feed, feed, feed Brother Nan his porridge herself?

Then he'd have feelings, she'd have affection, and bam-they'd hit it off.

"Minghui, what are you looking at?"

Nan Nan nearly scared Dongfang Minghui to death. She made a silencing gesture. "Shh. I'm watching Seventh Sister and Brother Nan."

Wanyu and my brother?

Dongfang Wanyu watched him finish the bowl of porridge at an unhurried pace. After taking the bowl from him, she said, "Get some rest. I'll come see you another day."

Seeing that the heroine was about to come out, Dongfang Minghui immediately pulled Nan Nan into the kitchen. "Ahem, Nan Nan, what do you think of my Seventh Sister?"

"Wanyu is great."

Dongfang Minghui nodded inwardly. Since you think she's great, she can become your sister-in-law. That would make us all one family.

Dongfang Wanyu brought the bowl into the kitchen, her face expressionless. "All right, take your time chatting. I'm going to cultivate."

Did she think I hadn't sensed Ninth Sister outside the door just now? What exactly was she trying to do?

Once the heroine left, Dongfang Minghui secretly patted her chest. "Seventh Sister is so wonderful. Wouldn't it be great if she got together with Brother Nan Fei?"

"Huh?" Nan Nan cried out, incredulous. "You mean Wanyu and my brother?"

Nan Nan pictured it for a moment, then immediately waved her hands. "That won't work. So that's what you've been plotting, Minghui. My brother doesn't like that sort of thing. Don't waste your effort."

Dongfang Minghui ignored her objections. Brother Nan was clearly a warm, caring man, just the person to thaw Seventh Sister's icy heart.

She was securing a wonderful opportunity for him.

Early the next morning, after finishing all her chores, Dongfang Minghui slipped into Nan Fei's room.

"Brother Nan, would you like to go out for a stroll?" Dongfang Minghui winked at him conspiratorially.

Nan Fei had already grown bored of staying in his room. Naturally, her suggestion delighted him. "Sure, but if Nan Nan finds out, she'll definitely nag me."

Like a conjurer, Dongfang Minghui brought his old wheelchair in from outside. Supporting him with spiritual power, she helped him into it.

"Don't worry. I'm a pharmacist. Someone in your condition shouldn't stay indoors all the time. You need to get out occasionally for some fresh air and sunshine. If she nags you, tell her I said so."

Nan Fei smiled and nodded. He quite enjoyed being with Dongfang Minghui. There was something very gentle about her presence, and he was happy to draw closer to her.

"You've taken excellent care of this little courtyard," Nan Fei couldn't help praising her.

He had been here for some time, regularly looking out at this patch of spirit medicines and that tree whose name he didn't know. Though he wasn't a wood-element Spirit Master, he could sense dense spiritual energy lingering within this little world.

His praise sent Dongfang Minghui's spirits soaring. "Of course! I'll take you to see the rest of the Pharmacy Institute."

Nan Fei hesitated. "Didn't the Dean order us to stay near the courtyard and not go anywhere else?"

That was because the Dean was wary of people from the Alchemy Institute, Dongfang Minghui thought. Besides, he hadn't known anything about you two back then. But I know Nan Nan and Nan Fei's backgrounds.

"It's fine. The Dean became enemies with the Alchemy Institute's Dean when he was young. It's no small matter at the Royal Academy. Everyone knows about it. He wasn't targeting you two back then, but the Alchemy Institute behind Nan Nan."

She had heard this while gossiping with Yong Xing. No wonder the plump old man had stubbornly refused to budge upon hearing that Nan Fei was inside the Alchemy Institute. Apparently, he had sworn never to set foot there for the rest of his life.

No wonder the two institutes were always at loggerheads. This bad habit had been started by the people at the top.

The Alchemy Institute looked down on the Pharmacy Institute, yet no one could shake the Pharmacy Institute's standing at the Royal Academy. The result was the bizarre spectacle of the two institutes finding each other equally intolerable.

A smile lingered at the corners of Nan Fei's lips as he listened to her chatter on and on.

When Dongfang Minghui emerged from cultivation, she saw Nan Nan sitting in the courtyard in a daze. "Why are you sitting here? Aren't you looking after your brother?"

Nan Nan smiled brightly. "He doesn't need me right now. Minghui took him out for a stroll."

Dongfang Wanyu's face turned cold at those words.

"Wanyu, what's wrong? Is something the matter?" Nan Nan was excellent at reading people's expressions. She could tell at a glance that Wanyu seemed unhappy.

Could it really be as Minghui said? Did Wanyu like my brother?

Dongfang Wanyu glanced at her and softened her voice. "Didn't the Dean tell your brother that it would be best to rest in bed for a month?"

Nan Nan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. So that was why. She had thought...

"I asked the Dean just now. He said getting out for a little walk would help him physically and mentally, so it's fine," Nan Nan explained with a smile.

Dongfang Wanyu nodded. "I'll go check on them."

Nan Nan hurried after her. "I'll come with you."

"Do you really like these spirit medicines?" Nan Fei asked curiously.

Dongfang Minghui nodded. "They're all adorable little sprites. Look, no one can do without them. Whenever someone needs them, they'll give everything they have without hesitation."

Plants understood sacrifice and devotion, but people did not. For treasures and everything else they wanted to seize, people would stop at nothing.

It was his first time hearing someone describe spirit medicines as little sprites, but thinking about it that way, the description seemed apt.

"Did you know? That Love Flower seed I brought back from Death Valley was one of the fruits of hundreds of years of Love Flower's efforts."

Dongfang Minghui wasn't sure whether she felt pity or something else. She simply felt that plants had difficult lives too, especially those that couldn't even speak.

Fortunately, she could understand what they were thinking.

Nan Fei gazed at her gently, unsure what he could possibly say to repay her for saving his life.

When Dongfang Wanyu arrived, she saw him gazing affectionately at Dongfang Minghui, who was collecting morning dew in the medicinal garden.

"Brother."

Hearing Nan Nan's voice, Dongfang Minghui turned and saw them. She couldn't help raising the porcelain bottle in her hand. It held freshly collected morning dew, one of the finest medicinal ingredients for making porridge.

She was now accustomed to getting up at a regular time and collecting morning dew with everyone. The little ones in her own courtyard would even deliberately shake the dew from their bodies so she could gather it early in the morning.

"Seventh Sister, could you take Brother Nan Fei back? I need to talk to Nan Nan." Dongfang Minghui winked at Nan Nan.

Dongfang Wanyu silently pushed Nan Fei back, saying nothing along the way until she asked, "What did Ninth Sister tell you?"

Nan Fei smiled. "She told me lots of interesting things about the Pharmacy Institute."

"Such as?"

Nan Fei hadn't expected her to press the matter. He thought for a moment. "Nothing particularly important, really. She pushed me around the White Angelica Garden, then happily went to collect morning dew. I noticed she enjoys talking to these spirit medicines. She must be very fond of them."

Dongfang Wanyu said nothing else along the way. "Rest well, and leave as soon as possible."

Nan Fei was startled, then answered with a smile, "I'll do my best to get back on my feet. I've caused you so much trouble during this time. Truly..."

Trouble was hardly the word for it.

Thinking of how Dongfang Minghui had accidentally fallen to the bottom of the cliff for the Love Flower seed, Dongfang Wanyu didn't want to see either of these siblings at all.

Yet