Chapter 33: The First Signs of Illness

The moment Jiang Muyun called him a big oaf, Zhang Shen suddenly realized what was going on. So that was why, back at the restaurant that afternoon, he’d called out to Jiang Muyun so desperately, yet the girl hadn’t reacted at all. Now he understood—she’d heard him, but seeing him together with Ye Qiong and Wang Ying, she’d misunderstood the situation.

Thinking back, Zhang Shen found it rather unbelievable. This girl’s moods truly changed like the wind.

“All right, Xiaoyun, you can call me a big oaf, but shouldn’t you at least let me explain myself?”

“Hmph, you can explain yourself out here.”

“I don’t have to come in, but if you don’t eat these desserts I just bought, I’ll have to eat them all myself.”

Despite her stubbornness, Jiang Muyun was still a young girl at heart. At the mention of delicious desserts, she immediately opened the door, finally giving Zhang Shen a chance to come in.

Jiang Muyun snatched the desserts from Zhang Shen’s hands and began eating them ravenously.

Watching her devour the treats, Zhang Shen quickly took out his phone and snapped a few candid photos. By the time Jiang Muyun realized what he’d done, it was too late to destroy the evidence.

Soon, Jiang Muyun had finished all the desserts Zhang Shen had brought. “You can go now. I want to rest.”

Zhang Shen was surprised by how quickly this girl could change her attitude. One moment she was cheerful and lively, the next she was cold and unfeeling.

“Hey! People always say that after you’ve eaten someone’s food or taken their things, you should at least show some gratitude. Why doesn’t that apply to you at all?”

“I’m just being myself—why do you care?”

“Fine, I won’t care. But at least let me explain!”

Now that Jiang Muyun was full, she didn’t mind listening to a story. She sat regally in her chair, making Zhang Shen stand before her, looking every bit like a mistress scolding her servant.

Fortunately, Zhang Shen didn’t mind. He began recounting everything that had happened over the past two days without missing a detail.

“So our miracle doctor is handy with his fists as well? I never noticed that before.”

Zhang Shen knew Jiang Muyun was teasing him, so he didn’t take the bait. Instead, he changed the subject: “I’m not sure I want to keep working as a network administrator.”

At this, Jiang Muyun tilted her head and asked, “Then what do you want to do?”

“I want to open my own clinic and help more people.”

In truth, Jiang Muyun had meant to tease Zhang Shen, but hearing him say that, she found the idea rather appealing.

“But do you have the necessary credentials?”

Indeed, the first hurdle before Zhang Shen was this: without proper certification, he would be practicing medicine illegally—a serious offense.

“That’s something I need to think through,” Zhang Shen admitted with a sigh.

“But I fully support your ambition!”

With that, Jiang Muyun leapt up from her chair, completely abandoning any pretense of ladylike behavior.

Just as Zhang Shen and Jiang Muyun were basking in their dreams for the future, Jiang Muyun was suddenly overcome by a wave of dizziness and collapsed to the floor.

At first, Zhang Shen thought she was playing a prank, but then he saw her body convulsing. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately checked her vital signs. It seemed to be more than a sudden illness.

Zhang Shen quickly used his Soul-Perceiving Technique to examine Jiang Muyun. He sensed that she had been poisoned. However, his skills were limited; he could only detect toxins lurking near the surface of the body. Anything deeper would require further cultivation.

For now, he could only deal with the immediate crisis.

He swiftly took out his silver needles and inserted three into Jiang Muyun’s face, gently rotating them. After a few minutes, he withdrew the needles. To his horror, several black worms crawled out of her face. Without delay, Zhang Shen grabbed a cup from the table and trapped them inside.

He had no idea how these things had gotten into Jiang Muyun’s body, how many times she’d suffered attacks like this, or whether such incidents would recur. Gazing at her delicate face, Zhang Shen found it all hard to believe.

After a while, Jiang Muyun let out a weak cough. Zhang Shen immediately used his Soul-Perceiving Technique to scan her body again. This time, nothing seemed amiss.

“So… you know everything now?” Jiang Muyun managed to force out the words.

Zhang Shen realized that Jiang Muyun must be fully aware of her own condition. But why, after all this time together, had she never told him?

“Your illness…” Zhang Shen hesitated, unable to continue.

“It’s all right, it’s an old problem. Each episode only lasts a little while. Once it passes, I’m fine.”

“An old problem? You just wait for it to pass?”

Zhang Shen couldn’t understand her way of thinking. If there was poison in her body, she should be looking for a cure, not just enduring the symptoms. Otherwise, how could she ever recover?

“Tell me, how did you end up with toxins in your body? How long have they been there?” Zhang Shen was eager for answers.

Jiang Muyun didn’t intend to hide anything. Since childhood, she’d always known her body was frail.

“For as long as I can remember, half my life has revolved around medicinal concoctions. Every time, it was my father who made me drink them, never allowing me to spill a single drop.”

“I suppose your father meant well,” Zhang Shen reasoned.

“Perhaps, but I really couldn’t stand it. You know, every time I drank the medicine, I would itch all over, and the pain was like a thousand ants biting at my heart.”

“How could that be? Didn’t you ask your father about it?”

“I did, but whenever I asked, he refused to say a word. Sometimes he even hit me. In the end, I went to my brother and asked him to find a way to save me from it all.”

“But leaving your father’s care might not have been wise.”

Zhang Shen believed Jiang Muyun’s father was simply anxious about his daughter’s health, which sometimes made him lose his temper. But now that Jiang Muyun was no longer under her father’s treatment, could her illness really be kept under control? Would what just happened become a frequent occurrence?

Seeing Zhang Shen’s furrowed brow, Jiang Muyun knew he was worried.

“Really, it’s all right. Anyway, I just wanted to say that your plan is a good one, and besides, you’re still missing something.”

“Missing something? What?”

“A helper!”