But, writer? That doesn't seem like a profession that can be casually used to brush someone off. Why did Miss Bai answer like that?
Without time to think, Mu Xing wrote down the treatment plan that Dr. Ding had described.
As expected, Dr. Ding also felt that Xiao Azhen's illness was very unusual, and there had been problems with previous treatments for gastrointestinal diseases. He arranged for routine blood tests and an X-ray examination, wrote out the payment slip, and asked Bai Yan to go to the payment window to pay first.
As soon as Bai Yan left, Mu Xing jumped up and said, "Dr. Ding, I really can't hold it in anymore. I'm going to find some medicine and I'll be right back."
Dr. Ding was also worried that she might develop some problems from holding it in, so he urged her to go quickly.
Having received the pardon, Mu Xing quickly left the clinic, found an intern to take notes for him, and then ran into his father's office.
Dr. Mu was very dedicated. When he had surgeries, he would stay at the clinic, leaving some changes of clothes in his office. Mu Xing hurriedly found a robe that he could wear and quickly put it on. Since he didn't have any hair oil to fix his hair, he had to pull out one of his father's felt hats to cover his hair before rushing out again.
However, after searching the lobby, he couldn't find Miss Bai. Instead, he met the strange looks of several interns. Mu Xing had no choice but to put on a brave face and make an excuse that he had accidentally gotten his clothes dirty and could only make do with his father's clothes.
After finding the back door of the clinic, Mu Xing suddenly found it somewhat amusing as he watched the pedestrians coming and going on the street.
What is she doing? She's so busy and flustered just to say a few words to Miss Bai that she's neglecting her work, like a child who's gotten a new toy and is excitedly overwhelmed.
Sigh, adults should just focus on their work.
After straightening her long robe, Mu Xing decided to go back, but as soon as she turned around, she was met with Miss Bai's smiling face.
Standing a few steps away, Bai Yan smiled and said, "I only thought the background looked like him, so I followed him. I didn't expect it to be Young Master Mu."
He hurriedly raised his hand to adjust the large felt hat on his head, and looking at the smiling person in front of him, Mu Xing smiled as well.
After finding a quiet spot in the clinic, Mu Xing and Bai Yan chatted for a few minutes.
"I heard my younger sister mention Xiao Azhen's symptoms, and I didn't expect to run into her today." Mu Xing made up a story casually. "I'm seeing patients at the clinic now, and since it's your sister who's sick, please don't hesitate to help if there's anything I can do." The first part was nonsense, but the last few sentences were sincere.
Bai Yan had heard such words many times before. She might not have taken them seriously in the past, but now that it involved Xiao Azhen's illness and Mu Xing could indeed help, she had to pay attention to it.
Just a few days ago, her mother had asked someone from the newspaper to give her an advertisement thanks to Young Master Mu's popularity. If she were to ask for help again today, it would be too unseemly. Therefore, Bai Yan simply smiled and said some polite words.
The two fell silent for a moment, and Mu Xing had to find another topic to talk about. Her gaze shifted and met Xiao Azhen's eyes.
It had only been half a month since their last meeting, but Xiao Azhen had become much thinner than before. The flesh on her cheeks had disappeared, and her big eyes looked even brighter on her sallow face.
She kept staring at Mu Xing, which made Mu Xing feel guilty.
It's said that children are simple-minded and therefore more likely to see through things. I hope little Ah Zhen doesn't actually figure anything out.
She awkwardly looked away, but her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of what Xiao Azhen was holding.
It was a small book with the words "Wonderful Words and Amazing Thoughts" on the cover, like a novel magazine.
A thought struck her, and she casually asked, "Little Zhen is so young, yet she can already read books like this?"
Sure enough, little Zhen said in her childish voice, "No, I don't know how to read it, this is Sister Yan's sample book..."
Before she could finish speaking, Bai Yan suddenly reached out and put her hand on Xiao Azhen's shoulder, interrupting her, saying, "It's just a book I bought for entertainment. Now that the country is open to the world, people like us should broaden our horizons."
As she spoke, she reached out to take the magazine, but Mu Xing was a step faster. Their hands crossed, their fingers touching, leaving behind each other's warmth.
Bai Yan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not force the magazine. She withdrew her hand and nervously smoothed her hair.
Mu Xing pretended not to notice and picked up the magazine, flipping to the table of contents. While browsing, she said, "Is this a fiction magazine? I've read some similar books while I was abroad these past few years..."
She paused intentionally, clearly sensing that Bai Yan beside her shifted uncomfortably.
So the title of "writer" was indeed not a lie?
Mu Xing was immediately excited.
Obviously, if Miss Bai is indeed a writer, this is something that none of those young men know, not even Miss Bai's madam—if they did know, they would definitely use it as a major selling point and spread it around.
It's clear that Miss Bai was intentionally hiding this, and now that she's discovered it, doesn't that mean she's one step closer to Miss Bai than to the other young men, or even to Young Master Cui?
This subtle inference, imbued with a sense of uniqueness, immediately struck Mu Xing.
She was eager to find some clues in the magazine that could support her theory.
But after quickly glancing through the catalog, Mu Xing couldn't find any pen names that were clearly related to Miss Bai, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Perhaps we can find some clues in the content of the novel?
However, this is not something that can be discovered in just a few seconds.
After noting down the book's publication number, Mu Xing returned the book to Bai Yan.
"I glanced at it briefly and it seemed quite interesting. Looks like I'll have to go buy a copy myself," she said.
Bai Yan gave a somewhat forced smile.
Xiao Azhen's check-up was scheduled for tomorrow, and Bai Yan was also in a hurry to return to her study, so after chatting for a short while, she took Xiao Azhen and left the clinic.
Mu Xing waited anxiously until the end of the workday, then immediately went to the newsstand to buy "Strange Words and Wonderful Thoughts," and began to quickly read it after returning to Mu Garden.
But the result was a huge disappointment to her. Not only did she not find any trace of Miss Bai in these novels, but she was also inadvertently drawn to one of them. By the time she finished reading it, it was almost ten o'clock.
She angrily slammed the magazine shut.
Ugh, why write something so beautiful? It made her not have time to prepare for tomorrow.
After opening the cover and marking the novel, Mu Xing was about to rest when his gaze suddenly stopped on a section of the table of contents.
Who are you laughing at?
This is the author's pen name, and the novel he wrote is called "Tonight is Cold".
For some reason, she suddenly felt that the pen name looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
Chapter Twenty
The name "Xiao Heren" was incredibly familiar, yet it only vaguely appeared in her memory, impossible for Mu Xing to grasp. She had a premonition that this was the key to a surprise. If she couldn't find it today, she feared she wouldn't be able to sleep at all.
However, she searched through all the books she had recently read, but none of them were in the *Philosophical Journal*, *The Lancet*, or *ScreanPlay*. She even thoroughly examined Zhang Henshui's *A Marriage of Tears and Laughter*, but still couldn't find the word.
After turning the study upside down, Mu Xing collapsed onto the table in frustration.
"Fragrance fills the south, the flower is called Michelia champaca, but who smiles at it?"...No, not this part...
Disappointed, she tossed aside the only matching poem, "Li Weng's Rhyming Dictionary."
Oh no, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.
Unsatisfied with her unfulfilled curiosity, Mu Xing listlessly washed up and sat down at the dressing table. Just as she was about to reach for Bai Yushuang, she caught a glimpse of a small magazine hidden under a hat on the bedside table.
With a sudden thought, Mu Xing reached out and took the magazine. The photo on the cover was of a dignified and beautiful woman, none other than Uncle Zhou's daughter, Shuheng*. The magazine had the words "Linglong" written on it in elegant handwriting. It was the new magazine "Linglong" that Li Yining had left with her a few days ago.
Oh right, didn't she also read this book, "Linglong"?
Forgetting to wipe away the white frost, Mu Xing hurriedly flipped to the table of contents of "Linglong" and sure enough, the three words "Xiao Heren" were right on the author's line!
The author's pen name is a line from the past, and the work is an article titled "My Views on Scientific Beauty"*, which describes how women should maintain health and beauty by taking vitamin injections. It also states that vitamin C can whiten the skin, but it must be injected at night for better absorption.
These experiences, combined with the elegant writing style between the lines, suggest that this "Laughing Person" must be a woman.
Mu Xing hurriedly opened the previous issue of "Strange Thoughts and Witty Remarks," first browsing through the beginning and end of the article "Tonight's Chill," but found no information about the author. He continued until the very last section, the editor's note, which, at a glance, seemed to summarize the highlights of this issue.
One of the sentences reads: "...The essay 'Tonight's Cold' is also quite wonderful; its words are exquisitely crafted, and its emotions are tender and lingering—truly excellent. The author laughs, wondering who can be called a 'talented scholar who sweeps his eyebrows'..."
The phrase "saomei caizi" means a woman with exceptional literary talent, so it's clear that Xiao Heren must be a woman!
Mu Xing then browsed through the comments on the remaining works, and found not a single word mentioning that the other authors were women. Therefore, if Miss Bai Yan is indeed a writer, she is likely this "Xiao He Ren".
This conclusion invigorated Mu Xing, and she went over it again: Miss Bai claimed to be a writer; Xiao Azhen said that this magazine was a 'sample copy' that Miss Bai received—only writers would receive sample copies from the magazine publisher; and among the authors, only "Xiao Heren" was a woman... The answer was almost obvious. Unless Miss Bai intentionally concealed her gender, what else could be doubted?
After reviewing the paper, Mu Xing became even happier. Picking up a fictitious pen, she wanted to write "QED" on the back of the paper in her mind—the argument is complete.
But wait.
She hesitated again.
What if Miss Bai was a fictional writer from the very beginning?
That reasoning was entirely flawed; she didn't understand or get closer to Miss Bai any more than Young Master Cui or Young Master Li. At least they might be able to tell whether Miss Bai was telling the truth or lying, or perhaps Miss Bai had no reason to hide anything from them.
She only needed to make this guess because she was not familiar with Miss Bai at all.
The unexpected sense of defeat immediately made Mu Xing feel somewhat discouraged.
Whether Ms. Bai is a writer or not is not the point. Her going through all this trouble is simply because she wants to understand Ms. Bai better.
Miss Bai is a very interesting person—not in terms of personality. Based on the few times she has met Miss Bai, they are not yet familiar enough to discuss personality.
But she was eager to get to know Miss Bai. She wanted to learn about things she had never experienced before, that world of extravagance and debauchery, and Miss Bai's past and present life.
All of this piqued her interest, making her want to get closer and learn more.
Frowning, Mu Xing tidied up her books and sat back down at her dressing table, slowly applying a little white jade cream. Looking at her smooth face in the glass mirror, Mu Xing suddenly raised her hand and swept all her hair back.
Without the concealment of her short, ear-length hair, her feminine grace vanished instantly. But when she furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes, her face in the mirror suddenly appeared more handsome.
Mu Xing suddenly made up his mind.
If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain. Rather than speculating on my own, it's better to directly reach out and understand.
Previously, she had only been waiting, hoping to use Tang Yu's invitation to get to know Miss Bai. But if only by befriending Miss Bai like Cui could she gain a deeper understanding of her, then she wouldn't mind following the example of those young masters and spending real money to openly ask Miss Bai to leave the brothel.
With a clear goal in mind, Mu Xing immediately perked up. Glancing at the clock, she quickly got into bed and pulled the covers over herself—the first step to getting Miss Bai out of the game was to earn enough real money!
Driven by excitement, Mu Xing got up before dawn the next day, put on a neat shirt and overalls, and used hair oil to make her hair smooth and tidy.
After getting dressed, she rushed into the car before her mother got up, urging her to go to the clinic. The group of housekeepers and maids were shocked, thinking she was possessed. They hurriedly prepared breakfast and put it in the car, then rushed the young lady to the clinic.
However, Mu Xing was busy at the clinic all morning with great joy, but when Xiao Azhen came for an X-ray in the afternoon, she was accompanied by her older sister. Mu Xing looked all the way to Dongdaemun, but he still couldn't see Miss Bai.
She could only feign ignorance and ask, "Didn't the family member who signed the examination form come?"
Little Zhen's older sister hurriedly said, "Sister Bai can't come because of something. I am Little Zhen's own sister, so it's the same for me."
Something's up... Oh, right, Miss Bai also has work to do. She can't just leave a group of customers behind and come all the way to accompany Xiao Azhen for her checkup.
Suppressing her disappointment, Mu Xing patiently guided Xiao Azhen through all the necessary tests, clearly instructing her when to pick up the results. Xiao Azhen's sister then thanked her profusely and left with Xiao Azhen.
Three to five days passed in this busy state. During that time, Xiao Azhen came twice, once to check on the results and once to prepare for hospitalization. Miss Bai never came again. Mu Xing was also extremely busy and had no time to accept the invitations of those young masters to go out and have fun, let alone go to the brothel to find Miss Bai.
That evening, Mu Xing suddenly received a call from Li Yining.
"Ah Xuan, why have you been disappearing lately?" Li Yining complained, and Mu Xing naturally said that she was busy with the clinic.
"What's so busy about this? You don't care about important matters, but you're busy with something else entirely," Li Yining said pointedly.