Chapter 29: Smile

  He Lingyin, that little girl, doesn't know what she ate wrong, on a rainy day, she actually ran to the Lingbo Temple to go crazy, shouting, wearing gold and silver, speaking in a format that is intimidating, with an air of superiority, no one can compare, and a look of being pleased with oneself.

  The little bit of good impression I had of her before has completely disappeared. It's really true that those who are close to the emperor are arrogant, and it seems that everyone in this palace is the same, stepping on others to climb higher, with power being everything.

  The arrival of the handsome doctor interrupted He Chongyuan's arrogant performance, perhaps her arrogance only appeared in front of Mu Yan. Maybe when she returned to being a person, she showed that innocent and pure appearance again.

  The handsome young doctor's timely arrival was truly a lifesaver, rescuing me from the jaws of death. I took a good close look at this young doctor.

  Dai Lan's straight-collared long gown, the one he had been wearing all along, had a cloud pattern embroidered with silver thread at the collar and cuffs, and a jade bamboo pendant was tied around his waist. On rainy days, some mud splashed onto the hem of his clothes, adding a bit of worldly flair.

  With such an outfit, paired with his humble and gentle handsome face, it's really impossible for people not to take a closer look.

  He sat half-straight on the stool beside Mu Yan, one hand lightly covering Mu Yan's wrist with a silk handkerchief to take her pulse. His face was wooden and extremely serious. After diagnosing for a while, he regained his gentle expression and spoke about her condition.

  Such a scene, handsome guy paired with beautiful girl, makes people feel delighted and carefree. If there were more handsome doctors like him in this world, perhaps it could reduce the suffering of many patients!

  Who is this handsome doctor? He didn't come before, but I seem to have never noticed him so much.

  But now, this handsome doctor in front of me is dazzling to the point where I couldn't move my gaze away from him. Every glance, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, and this outfit that's no different from other imperial physicians, all have an extra touch of elegance and carefree spirit.

  How to describe his feeling? Polite and courteous, yet carefree and at ease. Perhaps this is what it means to be calm and composed.

  I perked up my ears and listened to their conversation, hoping to hear something related to the handsome doctor.

  But apart from hearing his surname, "Chen Taiyi", the rest were some inquiries and similar routine questions like "Did Zhaojuan sleep well?" or nonsense medical advice like "Don't overindulge in cold foods!"

  Roar, until Dr. Chen was sent out the door, the smile on his face never disappeared, and every word was polite but not intimate, with perfect etiquette, making it impossible for people to get close. It seems that this Dr. Chen is like a lotus flower dwelling in the water, standing alone, although blooming beautifully, yet can be seen but not touched, only to be admired from afar but not to be trifled with.

  As I watched Dr. Chen disappear into the rain, my heart suddenly felt a bit more melancholic. Such an introverted and indifferent person, who would have the good fortune to be treated with sincerity and genuine feelings by him? Perhaps that's another beautiful story!

  I returned to the house, my face filled with anxiety and constant sighs. Mu Yan noticed something was amiss. She didn't think there was anything wrong with Chen Taifu, but advised me not to get too deeply involved.

  I don't know why I keep sighing and lamenting, I myself can't make it clear, let alone explaining it to others.

  Emotions are something that can be shared, but never replaced. What's this nonsense about empathy? You have no right to discuss it if you haven't experienced it yourself.

  The heavy rain did not stop all night, and it wasn't until the sky gradually brightened that it slowly faded away.

  I finished washing up and opened the door. Wow, when did the sun that had been closed for a long time become so dazzling? The sky was clean and blue, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight. What a great day! On the eaves of the house, on the stone table, on the steps, and on the withered branches, everywhere was covered with snow, and almost everything in front of me was covered in white snow.

  Xiao Fu Tzu was holding a broom and sweeping the garden, when he saw me come out, he stopped what he was doing and greeted me!

  "Good morning, Manya!" Pingzhong's usual thick-skinned Xiao Fuzi always had a smile on his face when meeting people, but his smile was different from Chen Taigong's, with more sincerity and less distance.

  Who can help but smile back at such a genuine smile?

  "Good morning! The weather is really nice today. I was thinking it was still raining yesterday, but now the ground is all white and clean. It's so interesting!"

  Xiao Fu nodded repeatedly in response to my words, seemingly very much in agreement.

  "It's not like that, Master entered the palace in the midst of summer, now it's already winter, things in this world have become so unpredictable!"

  If Muyan heard this, she might be heartbroken. I signaled to Xiao Fuzi with my eyes, hinting him to shut up. He's not a fool either, so he slapped his mouth a few times, silently scolding himself for being the stupidest, and then hastily escaped from here, as if afraid of causing trouble.

  Xiao Fu ran away, and I didn't stay in the courtyard stupidly either, went to Mu Yan's place.

  Today, she seems to be in a much better mood. She's not embroidering those small trinkets, but instead leaning against the window, staring blankly outside with a hint of a smile on her face. The window is open, and Mu Yan is leaning against it, quietly gazing out at something, completely unaware of my arrival.

  I sneaked up behind her and leaned in close to her ear, blowing a gentle breath and whispering "Master!"

  She was disturbed by me, her body shook, as if she suddenly woke up from a dream, the smile on her face disappeared instantly, and seemed to have added a few more disappointments.

  That fleeting expression stayed for too short a time, and in the blink of an eye, Mu Yan's face had already regained its smile.

  This smile is not as cute and radiant as before, it seems to have gained some weight.

  No wonder Mu Yan and Chen Taigong had something to talk about, even if it was such an official Q&A session. They were originally the same kind of people, close but not intimate, like clouds in the sky, floating high above, being looked up at by everyone, being infatuated with, yet visible but untouchable.

  Some distances cannot be shortened by one person's efforts alone, and some smiles cannot be seen with just one person's sincerity.